"I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments." - Psalm 119:176
Build God’s Word into your heart. Take the trouble; make the effort to memorize as much of it as you can. (I was just reading in a Newsletter from Dr. Kevin Olson about how in other countries, students at his Orality Institute memorize 2,200 verses of Scripture during their course of studies.)
We all know it gets harder to memorize as we get older. That’s not an excuse to quit learning! You’re never going to be younger than you are today, so you’d better get started now.
Then, when your heart begins to go astray in any way, or when temptations come, you have already put a sword in the hand of the Holy Spirit to draw and wield for your defense. He will bring these words to your remembrance and seek your heart through them.
Encourage your children and grandchildren to memorize Scripture. Incentivize them to do it in any way you can. Set the example for them to follow. Make it fun for them. You’ll not just save their life, you’ll save their eternal soul! The Word of God will keep working in their hearts no matter where they go from here, long after you’ve gone to heaven.
Today we have ready access to the Bible. We have printed Bibles in multiple translations at our fingertips and ready access to even more over the Internet. But there is every possibility that it won’t be so easy a few years from now. Hide it in your heart now; store it up; treasure it!
Lord, You have blessed us with such ready access to Your Word, like no one else in history has ever had. We have grown used to it and gotten lazy. Help me build your Word into my heart so that it can never be taken from me. Remind me of it when my heart wanders. Keep me close, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles