Wednesday, August 02, 2006

MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE
From today's Proverb, Proverbs 2:
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
The above verses set some conditions on our understanding the fear of the LORD and finding the knowledge of God. Notice that they aren't optional conditions, nor are they singular in nature. Instead, the scripture states that if you do the above 8 things, then you will understand. Further down in Proverbs 2 it promises that if you have God's wisdom it will save you from wicked men and the adulterous woman. I'd say that these are definitely things we want to be saved from.
So, when was the last time you memorized a verse or verses of the Bible? Do you find it difficult to do so? Do you set aside time, strategically to do so? I fail in this area. Can you share any encouraging words or practical advice to help people be better at storing up God's commands within our hearts??

4 comments:

Kevin Bussey said...

I use the topical memory system that I downloaded on my tungsten.

Phil Hoover said...

I was very good at memorizing Scripture at one time in the not-so-distant past.

I think the last thing that I consciously and decisively memorized was Psalms 121--on a flight to Minneapolis.

J. Guy Muse said...

One of our team members Barbara Rivers (IMB M) works with prostitutes in getting them to memorize Scripture to be able to reprogram their minds. They have to repeat each verse 100/times a day. They are literally reprogramming their thoughts with Scripture vs. what the harsh world has taught them through the enemy's work in their lives.

IT WORKS! There are five more ready for baptism in a couple of weeks.

Bryan Riley said...

oh, man... Guy, that is incredible!!!! You've got to post about that. We need to get others to hear about that. I was just telling someone today that I wasn't worried about my kids' education so much because I felt like they would get more knowledge, wisdom, and there minds would be sharper through bible education than anything else (kind of like Daniel and eating biblically or like the torah training, etc.). Psalm 119. Psalm 1. Heck, the whole bible shows and tells it. Jesus is the word. The word is wisdom. I love it. You just pumped me up.

(Now, for my parents and others when they read this... please understand I believe in a good education...I'm just saying that I know God will bless my children through biblical studies while we are in other cultures, etc.)