A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking up the "whole armor of God" part of which is the “Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:16). In that post, I mentioned that a knowledge of God's word is essential. You can't use what you don't know.
The Psalmist writes it this way” I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.(Psalm 119: 11) If we know God's word, we can use it to protect ourselves from Satan's deception, just like Jesus did (Matt 4:1-11).
So, how do we hide God's word in our heart, so that our Sword of the Spirit is ready when we need it? We must commit scripture to memory. I know. I can hear the groaning from all parts of cyberspace. Memorize scripture? Yes, memorize scripture. For some of you memorizing anything is a challenge, and for others, just the thought dredges up unpleasant memories from Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I understand that, but I would submit that you “can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.”(Phil 4:13) That one is a good place to start! It was the one my sister hung on to when she got clean and sober after a twenty-year meth and alcohol addiction. It still makes her kids cringe, but the up side of that is that they know it too!
Even I, who never had trouble memorizing large passages of scripture, find the older I get, the more I have to work at it. I still do though. Work at it, I mean. Ed does too. One problem we both have, and I think I have mentioned this before, is that we grew up with the King James Version, and recall many verses from that, but know them in the newer versions too. Its like growing up in a bilingual household. Sometimes, scriptures come out half KJV and half NIV! However you say them, they have the same meaning, and the same power!
So how do you get started memorizing scriptures? I don't think there is any one way to do it. A lot depends on you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Normally, I think people start memorizing what grabs them. One way to start is just to start reading your Bible on a daily basis, and pay attention to what speaks to you, those things that hit home. Those are the ones you want to commit to memory. Ed and I both write what we want to memorize on 3x5 cards and keep them in our Bibles. Once we learn them, they go into a card file box and they get reviewed weekly. Writing them down also helps with the memorization process.
Maybe you already have some idea of what you want to learn first.
How about John 3:16? Genesis 1:1? Romans 3:23?
Want an easy start? Learn the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35 says “Jesus wept. “ Ok, so why would we want to memorize that? It shows that Jesus cares about us, and hurts when we hurt. Read it in its context, and you'll see what I mean.
A little more adventurous? How about the 23rd Psalm?
When I was 14, my grandma challenged me to memorize the 7th chapter of Acts. It is Stephen's testimony and has 60 verses. As I said, memorizing came easy for me, so it took about two weeks. I still know most of it, and with a little effort, it would all come back. My point is that once its in there, your subconscious has it. Before Jesus was crucified, he promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them to remember all things (John 14:26) I believe the same is true today. When we make the effort to commit God's word to memory, the Holy Spirit will help us remember just what we need, just when we need it.
The 119th Psalm, part of which I quoted at the beginning of this post has a lot to say about God's word. Verse 105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” Yes, I did say “verse 105”. There are 176 verses in Psalm 119, making it the longest chapter in the Bible. Talk about a memorization challenge!
Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, start small, memorize what speaks to you, or pick up a challenge. However you decide to go, start learning God's word, so your sword will be honed and ready when you need it!
See ya tomorrow!
Connie
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