People today are busy. We go non-stop 24/7 and are pulled in a million directions. We need strength, wisdom, and hope. We are at times desperately short of reliable information to raise children and live with a happy heart in a happy home. We need to look no further than the Bible. It is unchanging; it is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We would be hard-pressed to carry a Bible everywhere, and Bible scripture memorization is the next best thing. Memorization helps us to have a firm foundation; plus, we find that fear, panic, and anger no longer immobilizes us when we have verses hidden in our hearts.

A year ago I purchased my fourth Bible when two rolls of tape and the quick fix of gluing its spine failed. Each time I receive a new Bible, I mourn for the old one. Each Bible becomes a close friend, confidante, advisor and journal. Within its pages are numerous notes, cross-references, under-linings and tear stains. My Bible travels with me wherever I go and reminds me who I am and what is required of me.

 

Personalizing the Bible

I have been personalizing Bible number four for a year. I started underlining the absolutes, my favorite verses. Pencil in hand, I turned to 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Getting excited, I turned the pages to John. People argue there are many roads to heaven, but scripture is infallible; there is only one way. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This is one of the most basic passages in the Bible that needs to be underlined and memorized. We are to trust Jesus to take us to His Father. The road is wide for many to traverse. Accepting Jesus as our Savior leads to discovering truth in scripture, and when we believe in Him, we are granted eternal life.

I then underlined the blessing verse. I have used it many times to encourage the weary, uplift the ill, and bring peace to a struggling friend. “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12).

Hebrews 13:8 is a must: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”

I cannot forget my favorite, my life verse of Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

A verse in Isaiah redirects my thoughts and pushes pity parties aside. “I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me” (Isaiah 49:15b-16).

When we trust the Lord for everyday guidance, He encourages us to never give up. He tells us to stand firm and to let nothing sway you in 1 Corinthians 15:58.

 

Memorizing Scripture

Oh Beloved, if you write the eleven verses in this article on note cards, you are on your way to memorizing scripture. Memorization is not hard when you take it one step at a time. Purchase several sets of blank note cards. Start with writing your favorite verses on the cards. In today’s world of technology, iPhones and computers fulfill many needs, but nothing can replace the handwritten Word of God. What a rewarding gesture to give back to God who has given us so much. Balking at this simple task can rob us of the tranquility found as we seek grace and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come. (Revelation 1:4)

Open the pages of your Bible and see what you have underlined in the past. You will find you have memorized more verses than you think. I never thought I could memorize scripture until I started applying this system. Set aside seven note cards each week and rubber band them. As you traverse the week, keep your eyes and ears open to see what verses God places before you from a devotion book, a sermon, Christian media or a friend. We are more apt to memorize verses that strike a chord within our hearts and are personal to us. God is worth three minutes of our day in writing one verse and then an extra five minutes of reading aloud the previous day’s verses of the week. He deserves the honor one day a week of reading aloud the accumulated verse cards from previous weeks. I chose Sundays to accomplish this blessing, desiring to keep the Sabbath day holy or set apart as the Ten Commandments tell us in Exodus 20:8-11.

This simple, effective memorization method hides 365 verses within our hearts in one year. Obedience brings blessings as we memorize. Memorized verses strengthen and enable us to endure, build confidence and give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. If you do not know where to start, go to ponder365.com to see the “weekly 7,” seven verses given each week to memorize. This no-fail method will help you see the Word of God truly is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. (Psalm 119:105)

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

 

Vickie Estler has a heart for encouraging parents of all ages to go to the Word of God and for prayer to be a priority in their lives. She is a monthly speaker at Moms on a Mission at Rio Vista Community Church and writes a weekly blog at ponder365.com.