Put it in Reverse - Girlfriends in God

October 27, 2016
Put It In Re-verse
Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. (Psalm 34:5)

Friend to Friend

If you’ve been around Christian believers for any length of time then you have probably heard people talking about their “life verse.” Having a life verse isn’t a Biblical mandate and it doesn’t make anyone sprout wings of holiness, but it’s a thing. A thing that often redirects us to God’s Word. Which is always good.

Back in the day of Joshua, the people of Israel were led through the Jordan River when the Lord made a miraculous way. After they reached the other side safely, God told the leaders to go back into the water and gather 12 large stones, one to represent each tribe, and to place them by the water’s edge. The stones became a visual reminder of the deliverance that they’d experienced at the hands of God.

Life verses are a remembrance stone of sorts. They are usually a verse that reminds people of Biblical promises or of a special time in their lives when they experienced the powerful presence of God. Sometimes a life verse is a scripture that reminds us not to worry, like Philippians 4:6 - or verses that reminds us of God’s inseparable love, like Romans 8:37-39.

I have more than one life verse {overachiever alert.} One is Psalm 105:4, because it instructs my heart of what is most important. “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” Love it. I need to remind my heart of which direction it should face.

Another one of my life verses is more of a remembrance stone. Psalm 34:5 reminds me that I am not the sum of what I do or what I’ve done, but that I am defined and refined by the One to whom I look. “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame.”

I know what it is to look to people other than God to define my beauty. I know what it’s like to look to my accomplishments, my failures, my bank account, or my social media page to inform my heart {and others} of my value and virtue. But God doesn’t care about those things. He cares about where I look: to Him, to myself, or to others.

I am defined by the restoring, forgiving grace of God, not by my past choices, others’ voices, or my present struggles. So Psalm 34:5 is a perfect life verse for me. It reminds me of the value God sees in me and it reminds me to look His way.

When I sign copies of my book Broken into Beautiful I usually add the Psalm 34:5 verse reference below my signature. It fits the message of the book, that God is all about healing wounded hearts and redefining our lives according to His beauty, not our brokenness.

Imagine my dismay when one day I realized that I had just signed someone’s book with the verse numbers inverted. I signed psalm 35:4 and had NO IDEA what the message of that verse was.

So I looked it up.

And quickly realized it was a verse written by David asking God to ruin his enemies! Good glory! I laughed and re-versed the book, changing the reference back to Psalm 34:5. This simple mistake got my heart to thinking. Sometimes I need to re-verse {or redirect} the things I say and do.

When I get distracted and leave God out of my day, it’s time to re-verse and remember what’s most important. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

When I get grumbly or gossipy, it’s time to re-verse. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure.” (Philippians 2:14-15) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)

When I feel insecure or unloved, it’s time to re-verse. “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

All day long I need to reroute my thoughts and actions toward the truth, wisdom and guidance of the Bible. I need to go back into the river of life, to the Word, to look up and memorize references that will set my heart and mind on the path of God’s will. Re-verse with me today?

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I’m so grateful that You are loving, kind, and patient. Please help me to live according to Your truth. Convict my heart when it needs correction. Help me to know when I need to re-verse, and move me to the path of Your holiness through Your Word.

In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read Psalm 119:9-11. “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

What three directives are we given? What are the rewards of these directives? How might these be applied in your life today?

More from the Girlfriends

Does your soul needa fresh re-verse? Are you ready to move forward in the faith, power, and impact God intends for you to live with? Gwen Smith’s new book, I Want It ALL, gives you practical help that will connect your struggles to the solutions and strength of God found in the Bible. Order yours today from Amazon or your favorite retailer. Get a FREE sample chapter here.