My child, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands
and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on
your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. ~Proverbs 7:1-3
The child replies: How can I keep my way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ~Psalm 119:109-111 (adapted)
In keeping with the family theme, what if Bible memorization were a part of the family infrastructure? We actually have experience with this and it’s quite fun and challenging. Let me tell you about it.
When our kids were young, we held to a bedtime routine that, I suppose by today’s standards, was pretty rigorous. Each of the kids picked a bedtime story. When they got older this got easier because they would all want to read more chapters of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” or “John White’s “The Annals of Anthropos,” “The Spirit Flier Series,” or “The War Lords of Ninn,” or, well, you get the idea. We were all big readers! Then, we would do a devotional, or read from one of the myriads of children’s Bibles around our home and then pray together before sending them off to bed. Part of devotions was memorizing scripture. It was important for Kathy and I to know the verses too. It’s humbling to be held accountable by a six-year old!
A few years ago, Kathy and I came across a quote by the founder of Navigators, Dawson Trotman, that said, “His Word, the last Word.” Meaning, make scripture the last thing you read and think about before you close your eyes for sleep. We ran the idea past our grown up kids, and they were all for it. So, each evening, my alarm goes off at 9:00 PM. And Kathy and I choose a verse of the day to send to our kids through a group text that I have set up for our family. Admittedly, there are times we wonder if the kids are actually reading them. And then, a surprise conversation starts up. So, I guess they’re at least reading some, or most of them.
Something interesting, I’m not sure that my three children here in Michigan could quote those verses we used to work on together so long ago, but the one son that does remember more than we realize is Christopher. He makes us so glad that we held to this practice so long ago. God’s Word is hidden in Chris’s heart in ways that we don’t even know, but we hold to God’s promise in Isaiah 55 which says: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from My mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Is.55:10-11) What if that Word had never been hidden there? What would Chris have to call upon then?
Yes, admittedly, this is restating another repetitive theme of the wisdom literature. Hide God’s Word in your heart by memorizing it and then pass it on to others, especially your children so that they can grow in wisdom too. So, you may be tempted to yawn because Solomon, and thus I, seem to be just repeating myself, but have you begun taking this strong suggestion seriously yet? Remember, the Holy Spirit can only help you walk in wisdom with as much material as you give Him to work with. The father here even gives suggestions to help make memorizing easier. “Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Today He might say, put in on your mirror, place it on your steering wheel. Put it on the homepage of your phone, tablet or computer. Maybe you have a creative idea to share. How you do it is less important than that you do it so that God can use it when you need it for His wisdom in all circumstances.
Prayer: Lord I pray that I will continue to memorize Scripture for its benefits in my life. I will hide your Word in my heart, so that I might not sin against you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Song: “Wonderful Words of Life”
The child replies: How can I keep my way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ~Psalm 119:109-111 (adapted)
In keeping with the family theme, what if Bible memorization were a part of the family infrastructure? We actually have experience with this and it’s quite fun and challenging. Let me tell you about it.
When our kids were young, we held to a bedtime routine that, I suppose by today’s standards, was pretty rigorous. Each of the kids picked a bedtime story. When they got older this got easier because they would all want to read more chapters of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” or “John White’s “The Annals of Anthropos,” “The Spirit Flier Series,” or “The War Lords of Ninn,” or, well, you get the idea. We were all big readers! Then, we would do a devotional, or read from one of the myriads of children’s Bibles around our home and then pray together before sending them off to bed. Part of devotions was memorizing scripture. It was important for Kathy and I to know the verses too. It’s humbling to be held accountable by a six-year old!
A few years ago, Kathy and I came across a quote by the founder of Navigators, Dawson Trotman, that said, “His Word, the last Word.” Meaning, make scripture the last thing you read and think about before you close your eyes for sleep. We ran the idea past our grown up kids, and they were all for it. So, each evening, my alarm goes off at 9:00 PM. And Kathy and I choose a verse of the day to send to our kids through a group text that I have set up for our family. Admittedly, there are times we wonder if the kids are actually reading them. And then, a surprise conversation starts up. So, I guess they’re at least reading some, or most of them.
Something interesting, I’m not sure that my three children here in Michigan could quote those verses we used to work on together so long ago, but the one son that does remember more than we realize is Christopher. He makes us so glad that we held to this practice so long ago. God’s Word is hidden in Chris’s heart in ways that we don’t even know, but we hold to God’s promise in Isaiah 55 which says: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from My mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Is.55:10-11) What if that Word had never been hidden there? What would Chris have to call upon then?
Yes, admittedly, this is restating another repetitive theme of the wisdom literature. Hide God’s Word in your heart by memorizing it and then pass it on to others, especially your children so that they can grow in wisdom too. So, you may be tempted to yawn because Solomon, and thus I, seem to be just repeating myself, but have you begun taking this strong suggestion seriously yet? Remember, the Holy Spirit can only help you walk in wisdom with as much material as you give Him to work with. The father here even gives suggestions to help make memorizing easier. “Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Today He might say, put in on your mirror, place it on your steering wheel. Put it on the homepage of your phone, tablet or computer. Maybe you have a creative idea to share. How you do it is less important than that you do it so that God can use it when you need it for His wisdom in all circumstances.
Prayer: Lord I pray that I will continue to memorize Scripture for its benefits in my life. I will hide your Word in my heart, so that I might not sin against you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Song: “Wonderful Words of Life”
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