Three Keys to Finding a Life Verse
Three Keys to Finding a Life Verse
Applying it to your life.
These words are my creation minus the mechanics of artificial intelligence (AI). You are welcome here!
Do you have a Scripture you call your life verse? A few years ago, I realized that Psalm 73.26 is my life verse, or at least one of several.
A life verse is something I had heard others talk about but never understood the need for. Or, maybe there were so many favorite verses I couldn’t narrow it down to one (thus, my need for several).
While recording some thoughts in my devotional planner, I turned to a page with the heading My Life Verse(s). Right then, I prayed, “Lord, help me. Remind me of the Bible verses that have been especially dear to me throughout my life. I want to define my life verse—or verses.”
#1 - Key to finding a life verse and applying it to your life
Ask the Lord to help you.
When I breathed those brief words, I couldn’t say I was fully focused on praying and believing God would reveal a verse to me. As you'll see, He did hear my humble prayer and give direction.
If you are interested in discovering a life verse, I suggest you take time to simply ask God to remind you of any verses He may have used to speak to your heart in the past.
Perhaps you are new to the Christian faith or have had little exposure to Bible verses. If this applies, then ask God to reveal a life verse to you in the days to come.
#2 – Key to finding a life verse and applying it to your life
Go back to any notes, documents, or journal entries you may have that reveal Bible verses that have impacted you.
After sitting and pondering my prayer to God, I realized I needed to take action to resurrect any memory of those Scriptures. That same morning, I went to my bookshelves and started thumbing through the journals and notebooks I’d kept over the years.
Inside those pages, I found devotional notes, Scriptures that had spoken to me, and words of encouragement or direction received from others. It didn’t take long before I came across my notes written about Psalm 73.26. I remembered the season of life I was in, at the time, and how the words and tone of this passage encouraged me.
My initial affection for this Psalm of Asaph developed during my years in music ministry. Recognized as the “chief” music minister during King David’s reign, the Asaph Psalms often appeal to worship leaders and musicians (1 Chron. 15.4-5a).
Before declaring this a life verse, though, I set aside time to dig deeper into its meaning. Doing so helped me to see that this verse held depth and meaning beyond that season as a worship leader.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73.26
#3 – Key to finding a life verse and applying it to your life
When you find a potential life verse, do a word study of that Scripture or passage.1 This will help you to gain an understanding of the meaning and application of the verse to your life.
As I continued my study of Psalm 73.26, I learned 1) the plain meaning2 of the text, and 2) how the words of the psalmist may impact my life.
“My flesh [my body, and even my blood relatives] and my heart [my mind and understanding] may fail [may consume me or come to an end] but God is the strength [the rock] of my heart [my mind and understanding] and my portion [my part, my territory, my inheritance] forever.”
As I meditated on those words, the Lord helped me recall the many failings of my flesh over the years. Because I am human, I also thought of those who have failed me (or those on whom I may have depended a little too much).
God reminded me that my mind and understanding are never enough—but I know the One who is enough. For He is my Rock. He is my forever inheritance. Hallelujah.
These three simple steps helped me to confirm that Psalm 73.26 was worthy of being listed under the heading My Life Verse(s) in my planner. Since then, I’ve added a few more verses there, as well.
When I took that notebook off my bookshelf and read the notes I’d written on Psalm 73.26 many years ago, tears began to roll down my cheeks. It was as if I felt what the Psalmist may have been feeling when he penned that Psalm.
That, my friend, is why we refer to it as the living Word of God.
If you need help with how to do a word study, check out this post at themodernmary.com for 10 STEPS TO DOING A BIBLE WORD STUDY. You can use Blue Letter Bible for free (referenced in the post) to do a quick word study.
If you are unfamiliar with the phrase “plain meaning,” this it is simply the “author’s intended meaning.” (see page 22, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart)