Verse 3 - Is. 30:15

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Is it just me, or did January disappear like a puff of smoke? Today being Feb. 1, it's time for me to choose verse three for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team.

This time, I don't think I chose this so much as got it assigned.  When a verse lands squarely in your face twice in one week, from two unconnected sources...well, I figure God is trying to tell me something.

The first time was in last Friday's study challenge from Beth; she posted a photo of the verse written on a 3 x 5 card.

Then, earlier this week, I encountered the same verse a second time.  Lisa Bevere is going to be speaking at our quarterly women's gathering next Friday (woot!), so I thought it would be a good idea to snag a copy of her latest book , Lioness Arising,  and read through it before the event.   And there, on page 23, she quoted

Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependance on me 

Now, both ladies quoted from The Message but, while I loved the rendering  stop your silly efforts to save yourselves,  I decided in the beginning that I would do my memory work from the NIV 84, just because it's very, very confusing to carry around multiple translations in my head.  So here it is...the whole verse, as it is written on my notecard:

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.  But you would have none of it.' - Is. 30:15 NIV 84

That  'but' really hits me.  I must must must learn to rest, be quiet and trust...while still doing what I am called to do.  I think the secret is going to be that I have to learn to be ruthlessly honest with myself about why I am doing what I am doing...is it because I'm called, or because I feel obligated in order to not disappoint people?  How much of it is really God and how much of it is my own silly effort?

How appropriate that I have been assigned to memorize a verse that will continually ask me those questions.