Remembering
What do you find hardest about being a Christian? What do you struggle with most? For many of us, it is knowing scripture, I mean REALLY knowing it.
I spent a number of years helping out with some of the children’s work at a conference and heard countless people say, ” It says in the Bible somewhere…” and then go on to misquote or misrepresent something Paul or some other Bible-writer once wrote.
I can do the same thing. I can take hold of a verse and make it my own without closely examining its contents and context, or I can completely forget where it is from and link it to another verse in my head. Come on admit it! You have too!
What does the word of God do for us? Why is it a good idea to get to know it better?
I once listened to a talk where a woman, who was a counsellor, explained that she had memorised the whole of Proverbs. She said that in any and every counselling situation God used something from that book to be the key into that person’s life. WOW!
I found this incredibly challenging. For one thing, its not like memorising Jude!! Proverbs is a mighty book with some hefty stuff in that doesn’t relate to the next sentence in any way. To memorise that? Surely that is too hard??
But what about you and me? What might God be wanting of us in terms of our memory and scripture? I think God wants to use scripture to challenge, comfort, teach, rebuke and train us in righteousness. How do I know? Because that is what the word of God says about itself!!
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
Learn this verse. Put it on your fridge. Put it on your mirror. Put it somewhere you will see it today.
“Nothing pays greater spiritual dividends than memorising Scripture.
Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be more effective. Your counselling will be in demand. Your outlook will change. Your mind will become more alert. Your confidence will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.” (UCB Notes)
LEARN IT. USE IT AND WATCH IT CHANGE YOU AND THOSE AROUND YOU. The truth shall set you free. Now, where does it say that?!