It's again been a while since I shared my scripture memory, but it's such a lovely verse to read and remember.

Moses records this proclamation of God just after the Israelites have made their golden calf (Exodus 32). Moses had chastised the people and pleaded for mercy for them from the Lord. Despite their rebellion, God forgave the Israelites and gave this wonderful promise to his people.

The Lord is completely just in his actions towards his created people (Numbers 14:18) and is jealous for our undivided love and devotion (Exodus 20:5). He will show mercy to those who have turned away from him (Nehemiah 9:17) but now turned back (2 Chronicles 30:9, 1 Samuel 7:3). Despite our rebellion, he shows his grace in drawing us back (Daniel 9:9).

This declaration of God's is repeated so many times, underlining its importance to us, his people, to remember this great truth and promise to us (Numbers 14:18, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2).

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
Exodus 34:6

It's taken me a wee while to get round to this, but the next scripture memory focuses on God's holiness. Isaiah reminds us that the Lord is holy fifty-seven times! God has set himself apart from sin (Joshua 24:19). The Lord shows his holiness through his own righteousness (Isaiah 5:16). Through his own holiness, he will make Jerusalem holy (Joel 3:17). Jesus was recognised as the "Holy One of God" by both demons and the disciples (Luke 4:33-34, John 6:68-69). He calls us to holiness because of his own holiness (Leviticus 11:44-45) and because we are his people (Deut 7:6). Through him, we are made holy and righteous in his sight and must live in accordance with this (Colossians 3:12, 1 Thess 3:11-13).

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Isaiah 6:1-5

After looking at God's character while learning the catechism, the next scripture looks at God who is love (1 John 4:8-9). God loves us with an everlasting and eternal love (2 Chron 20:21). It is love that is better than life itself (Psalm 63:3).

He shows this love in so many ways. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) through whom we can be reconciled to God (Romans 5:10-11). He gave up his only son so that whoever believes in him could be saved (John 3:16). In our earthly lives, God gives us new life through his love and mercy for us (Ephesians 2:4-5). The Holy Spirit has been given to us as an outpouring of love into our hearts (Romans 5:5). As believers kept in the love of God, we wait for that mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ that will bring eternal life (Jude 20-21).

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10

This week's Scripture for memorisation comes from one of King David's psalms. After he ran from Saul, even lowering himself to the point of pretending to a drooling madman (1 Sam 21:10-15), David writes this psalm extolling God's goodness to him. Years later, in his first letter, Peter takes these words as he encourages the church a deeper, more mature faith (1 Peter 2:1-3).

God is good (Psalm 100:5), as much as he is jealous, merciful, faithful, great, eternal, gracious, mighty, exalted, righteous, holy and love. It is part of his unchanging character. He demonstrates his goodness by his love for sinners as he calls and guides us in his way (Psalm 25:8-10). We should be praying that God will teach us to follow his laws and to do good as he conforms us more into his likeness (Psalm 119:66-70).

On the day God saved him from the hand of Saul, David then sings to the praise of God. He describes the LORD as his rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn of his salvation, stronghold and saviour (2 Samuel 22:2-3). David recognises the security that comes from a relationship with God and trusts in his actions and words (2 Samuel 22:31). With God on our side, of what do we have to be afraid (Psalm 27:1)? His refuge extends to our salvation with deliverance promised to those who have taken refuge in him (Psalm 34:22) but there are warnings for those who seek refuge in wordly things (Psalm 57:2).

The knowledge of God's goodness, steadfast love, refuge, protection and salvation should draw us to praise and exalt him along with the psalmists (Psalm 5:11, Psalm 106:1).

Oh, taste and see the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8

Despite our many failings, our God is a faithful God. We can trust in him entirely, committing our way to God knowing that he acts for our good (Psalm 37:5). It is only through knowing God's word that we can come to a right understanding of ourselves and the world we live in, rather than from a man-centred view (Proverbs 2:6).

God promises to guide those seeking him, leading them to enternal glory (Psalm 73:24), but will cut off those who forsake his teaching (1 Chronicles 28:9). This does not take away from our responsibility in making God-honouring decisions, but we can trust that we cannot go outwith the protection of God's providence (Genesis 50:20-21, Proverbs 16:33). We know that our lives are not random or planned by capricious fates, but instead that each event is within God's will and will ultimately be worked to our good (Romans 8:28).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

God's wisdom is:

• infinite (Psalm 147:5, Rom 11:33)
• manifold (Eph 3:10)
• an essential part of his character (Job 9:4, Job 12:13)
• attributed to God by the angels (Rev 7:11-12)
• beyond our understanding (Psalm 139:6)
• beyond our imagination (Isa 55:8)
• beyond value (Job 28:12-19)
• given to those who love God (Ecc 8:5)
• to be followed by his people (Ezra 7:25)
• to be possessed in humility (Jer 9:23-24)
• given to his people as they mature in faith (Job 12:13, Daniel 2:20-22)
• the means by which the world was created (Psalm 104:24, Prov 3:19-20)
• offered to the world, which rejects it (Prov 1:24-31)

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:33-36

The first Scripture I'm memorising this year focuses on God's knowledge. David, in Psalm 139, speaks directly to God of his character: his greatness as our Creator, his omniscience, his omnipresence and his wisdom. His knowledge of us is complete and extends to mundane parts of life and even to our secret thoughts, most of which are even those hidden from anyone else's view. His eyes are everywhere, searching each person's heart.

There are two ways to see this. We can be terrified at knowing this, knowing that God knows the real darkness of our hearts or we can be assured that God loves us even though he knows just how wicked we are and can praise him that he intimately understands and cares about us and every aspect of our lives. Because he knows our true depravity, he can prepare a perfect salvation for us.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
Psalm 139:1-4

2007 is going to be an exciting year. I have no idea where I will be and what I will be doing in August, never mind this time next year. Thankfully, I know that my life will not come to together by coincidences and random events, but instead has been lovingly planned by a God who has plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give me a future and a hope. Whatever happens, I want to grow more and more in my relationship with and in my knowledge of God, and to walk with the Lord daily and in everything I do.

While reflecting on the past year and on the year ahead, I have decided to set myself some goals to help me focus and to have some accountability for my part in my growth over the next year. If I tell you about them, I'd better have a good excuse for not keeping them!

That said some of them might not be as important by the end of the year although I have tried to pick goals that will be good for me wherever I am and whatever is happening in my life.

It is also interesting to look back at previous goals to see what was important to me at the time and if I achieved them. While sorting through a box of school stuff, I found an old diary from 1995. My list of goals for before I was 25, ten years later, included becoming a doctor (done), having long hair (quite embarrassing this is in the same league as the last one but it has been done), getting my name into listings of the Radio Times (done) and being in a musical in the main theatre in my city (not done and I'm fine with that!).

My goals for 2007 are to:

• Read through the whole Bible - I've done this once before in a year and found it very helpful to get everything in context and to see the Bible as a whole, rather than in fragmented pieces. I'm currently swithering (admittedly a bit late in the day!) between Robert Murray McCheyne's plan or reading through the Bible chronologically.



• Memorise key Scripture - The publishers of the ESV Bible have a year's Scripture memorisation plan that covers the basics of Christianity with one passage for every week.



• Learn a question from the Shorter Catechism every week - I think we have lost a great part of our heritage and a wonderful opportunity to learn basic tenets of faith when we stopped catechising children in Sunday school. I didn't go to Sunday school myself so I have decided to start learning them.



• Practise hospitality more purposefully - Carolyn McCulley wrote a great article on this a few days ago. I'll write more about this, but I wanted to recommend it straight away.



• Start singing lessons again - I used to do so much more singing when I was at university, but stopped when I started work. Having got my postgraduate exams out of the way, I should be able to find the time to do something I love.



• Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Do without - I want to join the ladies of blogland, led by Sallie, in Celebrating a Year of Abundance.



• Keep blogging - I never intended to start blogging at the beginning of the year but somehow fell into it. I have loved it though and really feel that I have grown from the discipline of writing and from the writings and fellowship over the internet of believers all over the world.

I'll write a little more about these in the days and weeks to come, but until then I'd be interested to know your resolutions or goals for the coming year if you are making them. For others' hopes and dreams for 2007, visit Laurel Wreath for more New Year Meditations.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14