Memorize the Word – Psalm 119:11, 16, 61, 128-129, 176
(October 11, 2005)
• Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
• I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
• The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
• I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
For many Christians, memorizing Scripture seems to be an elusive task. It certainly was for me, for many years. Not only was it elusive, it used to upset me so much that I couldn't ever remember the verses I wanted to remember, I cried about it, more than a few times.
I have a very good memory - it's just the way God made me. I can recall specific details about specific events dating all the way back to roughly 10 months old. I used to wonder why I had such a sharp memory dating back so far, until it dawned on me one day, the reason why. I am convinced I have this memory so that I can testify of God's grace, His hand on my life, from even before my life on this earth, began.
However, when it came to memorizing Scripture, there always seemed to be this enormous black wall. No getting past it, around it, over it, or through it. No matter which "method" I tried, nothing worked. It upset me so much because I wanted more than anything to have His word hidden in my heart, just like Ps.119:11 says.
It wasn't until we started homeschooling in December of 1999, that we (I) discovered a very effective way to memorize His word. Repetition. That's it.
Repetition, combined with a genuine desire to truly hide His word in your heart, actually works.
Each morning before we start school, we recite our memory verse as a family. Now that the younger ones are reading, I print the verse out in large block print, for them to read it, as they say it. Then again in the evening before family devotion time, we recite the verse again. Sometimes we have them say it individually, as well.
Depending on the length of the verse, determines how long we spend on it. The short ones, that the kids pick up on right away, we usually say from Monday through the following Sunday. Longer ones might be 2 weeks, or even 3.
In addition to memorizing individual verses and passages, we've also learned from memory, the books of the Bible. This has been helpful in so many ways, it's incredible. To read more about how we did that, go here.
Last month, Doug McHone of Coffeeswirls.com shared his passion with teaching his AWANA kids, their Scripture memory verses. Here's what Doug had to say:
"Life moves at too fast a pace, people are busy and some of the parents of these kids do not profess any faith and will not read with them. Ultimately, this is not a valid excuse, especially for those kids with parents who would be overjoyed to sit down and work with them, but it is the ongoing trend. Since a helper is needed throughout the week, I had the kids read John 14:26. I’ll share it with you here.
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
I told them to pray before they read their verses, that God would help them remember what they were reading. I told them to pray as they read these verses, telling God what the verse meant when they considered it. I then told them to pray as they were finished with their reading that God would again help them remember what they read and would help them apply it. I asked them to do this a few times in the week. I don’t know if this has happened, but it is my own prayer that they do this and that the spirit of God moves within them through what they are reading.
We want them to memorize verses that remove the thought that perhaps they are good enough for God and then reveal to them the salvation that is made available only through the blood of Christ. This is our focus, but it is not where we are succeeding. Some kids have been led to the cross in a powerful way through our program and are now a powerful witness to their parents, but I wonder if we wouldn’t be even more effective if the Bible were to take the primacy of importance in the club and in the hearts of the children.
I make no claims that my discussion with the kids will be our magic bullet, but I will use repetition and prayer as the focal points of the talk, and will be asking questions of the kids as I go along. I plan to “memorize” Titus 3:5, or another verse suggested by the pastor or Awana Commander by writing it up on a white board. That and John 14:26 will be the two sword drills. Then, I will model a prayer asking God to help me.
I will read it and model a prayer that tells God what I am reading, and then give thanks to God for what He reveals and to ask Him to put this word in my heart and not just in my head. Then I will begin erasing a couple words at a time and say the verse again, always with the kids saying it with me. Eventually, we will be reciting this verse without any helps. After we discuss how the Holy Spirit is our helper I want to show that God saves us by His mercy and not by our works."
When it comes to memorizing Scripture, the goal is to be ever so mindful of God's word, from the heart, that it's also fresh on your mind, throughout the day. For the believer, there is no greater joy than to be in a moment of great sadness, or frustration, joy or confusion, and have a comforting word from the Lord suddenly appear in your thoughts. Knowing that His word is in your heart, to direct your steps, clear your mind, and bring you peace.
This school year we're working through John and Romans. Until the end of January we'll be in John, then from February through the end of the school year, Romans. We start a new verse today and here it is:
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Our Bible lesson this morning will be the context of this verse. Why did Jesus say that? Who was He talking to? Will we really never be hungry or thirsty? Did the people that heard Him say these thing, believe Him? Do we believe Him? It's amazing how asking the kids these questions, generates even more questions - and makes the verse even easier to remember.
Another very helpful way to memorize His word, is to have it all over your house. Several years ago I began creating posters and t-shirts with lovely graphics and Bible verses on them. In front me, on the wall behind my computer are 5 posters with such scenes. Since then, I began offering these and other products to help other people "shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates" (Deut.11:20) at my Scripscenes store.
I look up at these poster prints every day - almost every time I sit here at the computer.
I hope that this has blessed you in some way today.
SDG,
Carla
