Today’s Verse—Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your [God’s] word in my
heart so that I won’t sin against you.
Many men like jumping across red, crazy circus goats, except Pete. Cory tried to take tomatoes to Paris. However, Joey picked precious jewels, jugs, jam, jaguars. Really!
Look carefully at the sentences above, especially the first letter of each word. It’s a memory device called a mnemonic. Each word begins with the corresponding letter of the New Testament books in order. (Many men like jumping . . . Matthew, Mark, Luke, John . . .) It’s kind of a weird way to remember the first letter of the books of the New Testament, but whatever works.
Have you ever used a song to help you memorize something? How could any English speaker forget “The Alphabet Song”? A lot of people say they have poor memories, but most of the time, it’s just a matter of putting their minds to it and memorizing something. How many of us know every word of that new pop song that’s sweeping the nation? The same brain cells we use for memorizing songs can be used for memorizing Scripture.
In the Odyssey episode “Hidden in My Heart” (album 26), we heard about three reasons for memorizing Scripture. In a skit within the show called “Rescue 119,” we learned that knowing Scripture will help us know when we’re confronted with false teachings. In the skit “Laffie” we learned that we need to know Scripture in case we’re confronted with a moral dilemma, or if we need to tell someone else about Jesus. In the skit “Star Trip” we learned that knowing Scripture keeps us from falling into temptation, because we’ll recognize when we’re in the presence of it.
Connie’s Corner
When I was in high school, I had to memorize all the kings of England. Augh! It was so hard because I didn’t know the difference between Henry VIII and John CXVIII (or whoever he was). But Philippians 4:13—“I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength”—now that’s something I can memorize, because it means something important! Oh, I’m sorry. Philippians IV:XIII. Augh!
Here are some tips for memorizing Scripture verses:
• The most important tip is to attach meaning to the words you’re memorizing. Memorizing words is difficult, but memorizing ideas is easier.
• Write the entire verse on a white board and say it aloud numerous times, erasing one word every time.
• Say the verse through the day, over and over. Memorizing for five minutes from 12:00 to 12:05 isn’t as effective as memorizing a verse for one minute at noon, again at 1:00, again at 1:45, and so on.
However you do it, hiding God’s Word in your heart is one of the best ways to build a strong relationship with God.
Daily Challenge
With your parents’ permission, visit www.godtube.com and search for Bible songs. There are plenty of clips that will help you memorize the books of the Bible. Pick one and learn at least the first ten books of the New Testament.
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Bible Theme Memory Verse—Psalm 119:89
Lord, your word lasts forever. It stands firm in the heavens.