The word of the Lord, the Bible, is of more importance than all of the riches of the world...and all the millions the lottery beckons us with. The Bible is the ticket to the Kingdom of God, and it's the key to eternity with Him.
Study the Bible! We can trust Him with your very life! He is the giver and sustainer of all mankind, and all our days are numbered and in His hand. Instead of clinging to the things the world offers, cling to Him. He is the truth, the light, and the only way to the freedom we desire.
- Makes meditation possible at times when you can’t be reading the Bible, and meditation is the pathway to deeper understanding. To meditate on the law of the Lord day and night, you must have some of it in your head.
- Strengthens my faith, because faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, and that happens when I am hearing the Word in my head.
- Shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God’s viewpoint on everything.
- Makes God’s word more readily accessible in overcoming temptation to sin because God’s warnings and promises are the way we conquer the deceitful lies of the devil.
- Guards my mind, making it easier for me to detect error, and the world is filled with error because the god of this world is a liar.
- Enables me to hit the devil in the face with a force he cannot resist, to protect myself and my family from his assault. It is the Sword in our hand.
- Provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to others in need. Don’t be caught off guard with someone in need.
- Provides the matrix for fellowship with Jesus because He talks to us through the Bible, sweetly, powerfully, authentically, speaks to us through His word, and if we have the Word in us, we can talk with God anywhere.
:)
ReplyDeleteI'm terrible at memorizing. Just terrible at it. I have three college degrees, and got only one B in each one with all the rest of the courses getting A's, so I'm no cognitive slouch--but I have a terrible time memorizing, especially isolated facts. I'm one of those people who would rather have an essay test, than a fill in the blank. I can give you the story, just not the list.
So, my attempts to memorize specific verses of Scripture have been poor...or so I though. Poor, because most times I can't spit out the verse on demand.
But--ahhh-- I know the story held in God's Word. And I just discovered the other day how much of the Word got memorized without my realizing it.
I read thru the Bible every year, have done so for many years using those "One Year Bibles" or a schedule. I switch up translations-- further complicates my ability to memorize.
At any rate, I said all of that to say this: was talking to a friend the other day, and I heard myself just pouring out verse after verse. Oh, they were a praphrase, for sure, with several translations mixed together--but it was the Word of God.
I was startled, in the midst of it, to realize that I had, indeed, without realizing "memorized" Scripture. I was so pleased. :) It was the constant handling, taking in, of the Word on a daily basis--just soaking it in to squeeze all of the meaning out of it--that did it.
So. Do proceed with your memorization project! Just know that whether or not you can spit out a specific verse on demand, the Word is in you. Alive and sharp and powerfully, in you. And that's what counts.
Uh-hmm. And if you find a method that works, pass it on to me!
Deb
I liked the John Piper points you included here about scripture. So important to have the Word of God penetrated through our hearts, souls, and minds.
ReplyDeletebetty