Memorizing Scripture. Letting Scripture Memorize Us. {Day 20}

Back in September I began to throw around ideas for a 31 Days series. I was focused on diving into Scripture and the ways it shapes us and transforms it. I thought of titling it Savoring God’s Word. Or Feasting on God’s Word. Then somewhere near the end of the month, No Fear captured me. I knew it was what I would write on. I thought “Wow, that was a complete change in topics.”

But now, I am realizing they are not so different.  It is in the digging into, savoring God’s Word that is one of the biggest ways that fear’s voice loses its power.

The next couple of days we will look at scripture and practices we can engage that help us live a life of no fear. Memorizing it. Meditating on it. Studying it.

Today is memorizing.

I wonder when I say that word, memorizing, what happens to you on the inside? Does it bring dread or feel like a burden? Does it feel like a should to?

Have you experienced memorizing scripture as something life giving?

It seems that sometimes we memorize scripture and sometimes scripture memorizes us. The verses I know by heart have come one of two ways. One being it has been a verse I picked and I said it over and over, day after day, until it was in my soul. Two being I have been in the midst of a trial or a decision and a verse captured me. I clung to it and although I wasn’t trying to memorize it, it was a life line.

In today’s world I don’t commit as much to memory. If I want to know something, I just google it. With so much information, new ideas come and old ones leave. But the benefits of memorizing are immense. When we do, we are choosing the words and images and thoughts that shape our minds and hearts and souls. We are creating a wallpaper that becomes what we think on.

In Adele Calhoun’s book Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us, she says “Memorizing God’s Word allows us to access divinely inspired thought and wisdom. And it works in us even when we are not conscious of its doing so.”  (I love this book, it is an amazing and thorough reference and reflection book.)

Would you practice some memorization in the next week?

Here are some ideas:

Memorize a favorite song. Slow yourself down, listen to the words and their meaning. Let yourself soak in it.

Memorize a verse. Write it on an index card. Tape it to your mirror, you kitchen sink window, your car dashboard (ok, be careful with that one). Say it in when you wake up and when you go to bed.

 Memorize a passage or book of the bible. I have never done this. A friend and I began memorizing Romans 8. In my bible I have written next to the passage “Laura Brown. 9/20/98 – __” Maybe it’s time to finish that.

What other ideas do you have?

{the above picture is my Grandmother’s bible. i love imaging all the life giving words she memorized from it}

I am participating in Write 31 Days. Click right here to see all the amazing topics!  I am writing on 31 Beauty Full Days.  You can read the intro post here.  And you can also always click on the button on the sidebar to see all posts in the series.