Kids earn
trophies for all sorts of accomplishments: horseback riding, Little League, academics,
even baton-twirling. I have earned exactly one trophy in my life, and that one was
for memorizing Bible verses. As a child I participated in an AWANA program and
earned the Timothy award, based on 2 Timothy 2:15:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed – AWANA, get it?
I never was
quite sure how to pronounce the word shew.
We talked, in last week's women's Sunday School class, about the value of the practice of memorization. As a former Bible verse memory nerd, I started thinking about the ways this practice shaped my early understanding of Scripture. One of the things I thought about was
this: I wonder how much of my understanding of certain Scripture passages was formed
when I memorized them as a child. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to have
been taught God’s word from a young age. I’m thankful that I still remember
verses I learned as a child, or at least snippets of verses. Most of them, I
still remember in the King James.
Consider
this verse, about the value of memorizing Scripture:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11, KJV
For as long
as I can remember, I’ve accepted as fact the idea that memorizing Bible verses
would keep me from sinning.
I’m
wondering how my childhood brain might have imagined that would work.
Maybe I
assumed that if I memorized Scripture it would act like an immunization, inoculating
me against sin.
Or perhaps I
thought Bible memorization would create in my head a database of right and
wrong. If, for example, I found myself tempted
to knock over a liquor store, I could simply consult my memory to see whether
or not armed robbery was on the naughty list. If I found it was, then obviously
I would decide against doing any such a thing.
Or maybe I
thought the power of Scripture memory would act something like Captain
America’s shield. When temptations came my way, the verses I had stored in my
heart would deflect them away.
I’ve been
thinking lately about the particular sins that have a tendency to trip me up,
wondering how hiding God’s word might actually keep me from falling face-first
into them. Knocking over liquor stores doesn’t really hold as much appeal for
me as one might suspect. My pet sins tend more along the lines of worry, fear, unbelief,
and doubt that God really does love me.
I’m tempted
to believe that God is not good, or that my situation exceeds His ability, or
that He won’t do what He promised. Most often, the temptation toward those
kinds of thoughts comes to me in the dark of night when I don’t have a Scofield
Reference Bible at the ready. Or a Geneva Study Bible. Or any other version
that might help me beat back the lies and temptations which assault me in the middle
of the night.
The only way
I know how to do battle against that kind of temptation is the same way Jesus
did, by using every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Assuming I have
those words handy when I need them. Assuming I’ve allowed the word of Christ to
dwell in me richly.
It’s been
many years since I’ve given serious thought to the practice of memorization.
And, I suspect I’ll find it much more difficult than I did when I was a child.
But I’m thinking it may be time for me to pick it back up again.
Even if
there are no trophies at stake.
Considering
the practice of memorization? Here are several useful tools:
Linking with Michelle @ Graceful:
And with Jen and the sisterhood @ Finding Heaven:
