It was when my own children attended Sunday School that they came home with a slip of paper each week, on which was written a Bible verse. They were to memorize it over the week and return the next Sunday to recite it. If they did, they got a prize.
My initial thinking was…hmmm... I’m not opposed to bribery in child raising. My point of question was the idea of having children memorize and recite a line of scripture by rote—without really knowing what it meant or the background from which it was taken.
I’ve gotten over that point of wonder.
The more I read scripture, the more verses seem to spout from my mind and my lips. The more I study the Bible, the more verses take hold in my heart and my soul.
I may not be able to cite the verse. Sometimes I can’t even cite the Book. Sometimes I’m not sure if it’s O.T. or N.T.
But the important thing is that those verses have become "memory verses." They have become part of who I am and more importantly—who I am in Christ.
They are a daily, continual and re-occurring reminder of God’s promises to me. Promises that He wrote in blood. Promises that are now and will always be part of who I am.
It took me a few decades to discover memory verses and a few more years to understand their importance. But, thank God, we’re never too old to learn. And remember.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word written down and preserved for us. Thank you for our minds that seek to understand and remember what we learn about your character, your plan and your promises. Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Did you grow up learning memory verses? How about now?
8 comments:
I've found that my writing has helped me tremendously in remembering verses... they're really starting to sink in!
@ Chris - I agree about the writing--especially writing about scripture. Forcing ourselves to meditate and write about it brings it more solidly into our brains (and hearts).
Growing up, we had a memory verse to learn over the week and I think the verses I learned when I was a child have stuck better in my mind than the verses I have worked on to learn as an adult. I think it was all those years of school, learning facts just long enough to take the test! :( I've actually recently started asking God to help me remember what I study.
memory verses spring to life when needed
verses that are sung are real good to
they keep the path ahead lit
biiiiiiiiiiiiig hug
@ Pam - imagine...remembering to ask God to help you remember things! Brilliant. If only I can "remember' to do that. Stay cool and breezy this weekend, Pam.
@ Jack - you are so right. Verses stick with me much better when I sing them, too. Even just humming gets me remembering the essence of the song even if I can't get the words right.
Carol, growing up in the Baptist church, we always had a verse to memorize each week. Though now, with my fibro-fog, memory is sucked out.
When I was in grade school, when Mom and Dad went on vacation, they would have a nurse/sitter stay with me and my two sisters. She was a very strong Christian. She used to have us memorize verses. For some reason, two that she always made me recite were Rom. 3:23 and 6:23. Wish I could spout off verses from memory but it just doesn't work.
Glad you reminded me of this!
@ Lynn - what a cool baby sitter you had! Interesting verses to have remembered...
Post a Comment