Do you have a Scripture verse for the year? I never had one until 2020. Many people have an anchor Scripture for the year, but it was never something that the Lord placed on my heart until last year. The verse that I said everyday (and sometimes multiple times in the day) was Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. This Scripture is packed with reminders and admonitions. For instance, when I needed help with relationships, it was clear that God wanted me to be more tenderhearted and forgiving. Tenderheartedness is not natural for me but having this written on the "scroll of my soul" (Beth Moore) gave me the ability to hear God's will for me. Forgiveness is key to understanding our relationship with the Lord. He has forgiven us through Christ. How can we not forgive others? Well, it's not easy, but it is what God expects from us. I am most grateful for having this Scripture all year through our crazy 2020.
Now that it's 2021, I commend a Scripture for the year to you. Ask God to place a particular portion of His Word on your heart to memorize and carry around with you everywhere you go. This year the verse that I am going to say daily is a blessing for educators everywhere.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
Deuteronomy 27:2-3
So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime and write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over, so that you may enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you.
Joshua 4: 1-6
When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
I am going to say and pray this Scripture for educators everyday throughout 2021. Because this school year has been the most difficult in our lifetime, we need a reminder of His goodness. Let's begin with the first of four thoughts from this precious verse.
The LORD your God is in your midst, a Mighty One Who will save.
Each day that you arrive at school, remember the LORD your God is there with you. He is mighty to save you from anything the day will throw at you. You are His! As Christian educators, you have the Holy Spirit living in you, walking and talking with you every day, everywhere you go. It most certainly includes your school day which is the all-encompassing portion of your life. Call on Him daily. Pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and remember that God is with you and for you. Be a blessing to those you interact with at school that they may somehow see Him through you.
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
Isn't this beautiful? Can you imagine God rejoicing over you with gladness? What a reminder for us that He made you and your students and everything He makes is good. Our God is the creator of the whole universe and He even said it was good before He rested. What a gift to remember to rejoice as He rejoices over you. Do you take the time to rejoice over your students or colleagues? Maybe 2021 is the year to rejoice over our schools as the Lord rejoices over us with gladness. All our schools could use a little more rejoicing and gladness. Amen?
He will quiet you by His love;
Be still. He will quiet you by His love. Each day brings its own worries. Cast them upon Him because He cares for you. I can feel His quieting when I say and pray Scripture. We often want to hear from God and the way to hear His voice is through His Word. It is the way to understand what He wants from us, how he cares for us and how He loves us. He loves us so much that He can even quiet us by His love. When your heart is troubled, call upon Him to quiet you. There is nothing more lasting than His remedies. I think of quiet times in school and know there are not many, but in those rare and wonderful times when you can be alone and just sit a moment, look to Him for your peace for He has promised that He will quiet you by His love.
He will exult over You with loud singing.
Can you imagine this? God is going to delight over us with loud singing! What will that sound like? How will we react? What will we do? It reminds me of the chorus of Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine."
Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
To my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
When you get to eternity, He will be singing over you! Wow! Dearest Christian educator, whether you are a paraprofessional, a teacher, a coach, an administrator or whatever position you are blessed to have, please know that I will be saying and praying this Scripture over you each day of 2021. May the Lord bless you with personal word for this year or feel free to use this one also. After all, this word is for you.
As always, I am prayerfully yours,
K
Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.
PS. Don’t forget to spread the word about the 1:16PM Prayer Movement and Around the Word in 180 Days:
• Visit, "like", and add comments the 1:16PM Facebook page and the Around the World in 180 days Facebook page.
May God bless you in the 2020-2021 school year.
Christian Educators Association International is the only professional association in the United States specifically for Christian educators in public schools. CEAI protects our members first in prayer, next with excellent professional liability insurance and other benefits while helping them live out their high calling as a Christian in the public school.
