2023_05_19 Insight Post- Kim Feld

  -   May 19, 2023

This week’s reading-  Psalm 119

I have really been convicted in reading Psalm 119 this week about “hiding God’s Word in my heart.” I would tell you that memorization is not easy for me. Yet, I can recite song lyrics and phrases from books and movies I love with no problem whatsoever! There are scripture memory books and courses out there, but here are some tips I’m trying to incorporate, based on an article from The Navigators online resources called “How to Memorize Scripture.” The link is at the bottom of this post if you want to read it.

The first tip is to pick scripture related to a topic that is meaningful to you. For instance, as a teenager, I struggled with being tempted to do things I knew I shouldn’t, so I memorized 1 Corinthians 10:13. It was applicable and relevant. It’s a verse that I can still quote today. Unfortunately, temptation is not something that ended with my teen years, so I have plenty of opportunities to apply that piece of God’s Word to my life daily, which is probably why I can still remember the verse.

The second tip is the importance of context. I can’t stress this enough. So many verses from the Bible are taken out of context and, because of that, lose the intended meaning. For example, John 11:35 is a popular verse to memorize (“Jesus wept.”) because of its brevity, but it really pops when you read it in context. Jesus was at the tomb of his friend Lazarus when He wept, even though He knew He was going to raise him from the dead. That verse speaks to Jesus’ love for Lazarus and His heart for us when we suffer loss. Death entered the world because of sin, and it breaks Jesus’ heart that we must be impacted by it. Context matters.

The third tip is to break the verse (or passage!) you are trying to memorize into pieces. This is also called chunking. Instead of focusing on each word, combine the words into chunks that make it easier to remember.

The final tip is to review. A lot. Think of the things in your life that you have memorized. Those things mostly fit into what I need regularly, like addresses, phone numbers, passwords, etc. Make a plan to review the verses you memorize regularly. Keep them handy on notecards or the notes section of your cell phone.

I hope you will join me in committing God’s Word to memory. The Psalmist says to hide God’s Word to keep us from sinning against Him. Psalm 119 also says that God’s Word is a lamp to guide us. His Word is a gift to us and one of the most direct ways He speaks to us. He wants us to hear and value what He has to say.