I recently posted an article called Scripture Memorization for Busy People which offers some of the practical benefits of memorizing Scripture. Included are links to the verse cards I created for use in my Bible memorization.
Sometimes dabbling is OK for example if I wanted to try my hand at painting or possibly woodcarving. My brothers excelled at both practices, but I have no guarantee their talents were included in my make-up. Dabbling when it comes to following Jesus Christ is not OK. In His words to the Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14-17) the Savior warned that a lukewarm commitment is unacceptable. I have a couple of books describing Christian disciplines, those behaviors I must adopt and practice if I want to advance my faith and commitment beyond the dabbling stage. In one of those, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney writes (page 22), “No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word.”
The word intake reminds me of a pipe nestled in a river that draws water for the city’s needs. The suction at the pipe’s opening is strong, and the volume of water flowing through can be tremendous. Now think of the Bible as a stream filled with God’s Words—His teaching, His doctrine, His rules, His encouragements, His prophecies, and His revelations of Himself. That stream flows swiftly, and I can miss important lessons if my intake pipe is too small, clogged, or leaking.
How do I intake God’s Word? The obvious answer is to hear the Bible preached and taught. Coupled with listening is the action of studying, reading for myself, meditating on passages until I capture their meaning, and then applying them in my own life. Wrapped around all these is the practice of memorizing the Word.
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