Memory Work

Our AWANA leadership has been issued a challenge to memorize some suggested scripture passages. When we were in the car after AWANA last week, J asked me if I had to memorize the verses to be an adult helper. I told him, no, there’s no have to about it, but that I am really excited about it. It’s just a way to encourage us as leaders to hide God’s word in our hearts the same way we’re encouraging the children to do. Actually I’m really glad to have that challenge because I find it very encouraging to memorize scripture and it’s easier to do so if I have a goal.

So, the first two passages were Psalm 1 and Psalm 23, which I had memorized earlier in the year on my own, so I brushed up on them this week and have now moved on to Isaiah 53. I have gotten through the first six verses so far, and let me tell you, there is something extremely special about memorizing scripture that I can’t really explain. I’ve read Isaiah 53 many times before, but taking the time to really think about it as I work to memorize it has been very meaningful because my love and awe for Jesus and what He has done for us is growing. Memorizing a passage forces you to really think about what the words mean, and to think more deeply about the meaning than you tend to do when you are just reading it through. I am really enjoying working to hide this chapter in my heart.

So, my answer to my son is that I see it as a blessing to be encouraged to memorize passages of scripture, and I hope he will begin to also. If you haven’t ever tried to memorize passages of the Bible before, I would love to encourage you to join me in thinking through and memorizing Isaiah 53 and pondering the great love and grace our Savior has shown to us in that while we were still sinners He died to reconcile us to God and to save us from our sin. I am telling you the truth that my love for Jesus grows the more I think about what He has done for us, and as my gratitude grows, I pray my day to day actions will reflect it.