The Tornado's Coming, No Time to Grab My Bible
Hiding God's Word in our hearts is a smart thing to do.
I was jolted awake by the voice of my husband.
“Wake up Kate, we gotta go.”
As my foggy mind tried to understand, he explained there was a tornado about 5 miles from our house, we needed to get to the basement.
Where’s my shoes?
Where did I put that flashlight?
Did I remember to put batteries in the emergency radio?
I didn’t have time to grab my Bible and turn to Psalm 46:1 to remind myself He is my refuge and strength in times of trouble. I knew it because that verse has been embedded in my heart for years.
We don’t always have access to our Bibles or devices but we always have access to the words in our hearts and minds.
There are many times it’s useful to have scripture memorized, here are 3:
High-stress circumstances such as an accident, medical emergency, or fire
Unplanned opportunities to share the gospel with someone
Facing sinful temptations
We need to know Bible verses so well that we can recite them even under stress.
The Bible encourages us to memorize scripture:
Psalm 1:2 – we are to meditate on it day and night
Colossians 3:16 – we are to let the Word of God dwell in us
Psalm 119 is a whole chapter devoted to the wonder of God’s Word.
If you don’t have any verses memorized, I challenge you to start by finding a verse that would comfort you or someone else in a difficult time.
Here are some ways to memorize scripture:
1. Set it to music
There’s a reason we remember song lyrics so well. Check out Biblesong.com.
Make up your own tune to sing the verse or set it to one of your favorite melodies.
2. Repetition
While looking at the verse, write it out by hand 10 times. While not looking at the verse, write it by hand another 10 times. Then say the verse out loud 10 times.
3. Bible Memory Apps
There are so many, but Bible Memory or Verse Locker could be a start.
Whatever you do, don’t give up.
Great devotional and plan, Kate! Have you heard of the husband/wife band, Poor Bishop Hooper? They have written a song for each of the Psalms. Like you mentioned, music is a great way to hide God’s word in our hearts.
Another neat way to memorize is to write out the first letter of each word in the verse. It gives you a prompt while not giving the answer. You have to work hard enough that it sticks. At a women's retreat a few months ago, we used alphabetic beads to make what was supposed to be a bracelet. I picked 1 Peter 3:15 which was so long I had to make it a necklace because it wrapped around my wrist twice. I had been trying, off and on, to memorize it, but the necklace did the trick.