Know By Heart
On my desk sits a jar of honey my mom bought me my first year of college. On it is taped the verse “how sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” Psalm 119:103, we got the idea from the camp speaker that summer. When I look at it and really notice it, that simple jar of honey reminds me to treasure God’s word –to learn it, know it, and live it. I know memorializing scripture is good. I believe it is important to hide God’s word in our hearts. Do I really believe that? Do we really believe that?What was the last verse you memorized?
Why did you memorize this passage?
How long ago was it since you memorized this passage?
Do you still know it?
The last passage I memorized was John 3:17 this past Christmas. I learned as I taught it to the children, and we only learned it because the play we did had them say the verse in unison. I still know the passage, but then it’s only been two months. I have monthly memory verse for the children, do the kids actually remember the verse from six months ago? From four months? Three? Last week? Some times the verse we learn is new to me but often I am relearning verses from my own Sunday school days. Outside of this I’m not studying any new passages.
We know it is good, we tell people it is important, but we don’t really do it, do we? It is like we look on memorizing Scripture as a children’s thing. It makes a good time filler during Sunday school. Thursdays youth topic is memorizing scripture…I’m not sure what I am going to say to make it matter to their lives. As a discipline it has to have more purpose than filler. What are your thoughts?
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.Psalm 119:11
Comments
The last one I memorized is probably Proverbs 31:10-12 (nlt)- "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life."
I chose this one because it's been something God has really placed on my heart lately (and for most of the last 8 or 9 years)...enriching the life of my future husband even now, helping him ALL my life (not just once we've met), mostly by praying for him and developing my spiritual life as much as possible.
I've been pondering this passage a few months, so probably that long. And yes, I still know it. I wrote it out on cardstock and pasted it on my wall so I can look at it every day.
I don't know what you should tell the youth. Motivation for me is knowing that God uses His Word to speak into my life and if it's not hidden in my heart and mind, it's also not so readily available for Him to use. Plus, memorization prepares us for unexpected encounters with non-Christians.
But what are your expectations of Him?