A Call to Bible Memorization
Instilling God’s Word and Cultivating Love for It
Around the world, believers are longing for and praying for Bibles – their very own copy. If you are like me, you could walk around your house and gather up 10 Bibles, at least. And with technology, we often don’t use the ones we have, because we can access it on our computers and phones. We don’t memorize it, because we can reach over to a table or bookshelf and look something up. But is that really enough? For my children’s sake, I want to instill the importance of having, reading, memorizing, and following the Word of God. I want them to appreciate the fact that they have the Bible, and I want them to treat it with reverence and love, because it is a precious gift. Corrie ten Boom’s father said to her, “Girl, don’t forget that every word you know by heart is a precious tool that [God] can use through you.”
This Bible was mine when I was a girl. I made a cover for it from a pretty corduroy dress my daughter outgrew and gave it to her for her first Bible. When my son came along, I wanted something personal and fun for him to be able to take a Bible to church, too, so I made this Bible pocket/cover for him from a pair of pants he outgrew. The little zipper pocket is perfect for carrying his offering.
A Marvelous Treasure Chest
Goodness, I wish I had the capability to learn as quickly as I did when I was a child! Kids learn so fast, but more importantly, it is wonderful how easily they understand the truths of God’s Word and how willing they are to apply God’s Word to their little lives. No matter our age, we can all be memorizing Scripture and hiding it in our heart. Hiding it in our heart, doesn’t mean keeping it a secret, though; it means keeping it safe and with us, so we will always have it! Having Scripture in our heart, is like having a full treasure chest of wonderful things we need! In the treasure chest of our heart, we can find comfort, strength, weapons, healing balm, and sustenance. And our children can have that, too!
Where To Begin
There are many suggested lists out there for great Bible verses to memorize. Here are some Scriptures we have particularly enjoyed learning.
- Clap your hands all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! – Psalm 47:1,2
- Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:20
- Jesus said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
- For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only So, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
- This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. – 1 John 3:16
- Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20
- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13
- When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. – Psalm 56:3,4
- The Lord watches over all who love Him. – Psalm 145:20
- Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. – Jeremiah 33:3
Memorizing Can Be Fun
Watch our video of us working on and applying Psalm 47:1,2 when my kids were tiny. And it’s never to learn the Books of the Bible (you can find many different musical versions of the Books of the Bible), because when they are older, you can give them Bible “Sword” drills. My competitive son loves sword drills. (You can find many different musical versions of the Books of the Bible.)
There are lots of ways to work on memorization, but don’t forget about the gift of music! Learning Scripture set to a melody, is an excellent way to help all of us remember! We have really loved Steve Green‘s “Hide ‘Em in Your Heart” volume 1 & 2 albums. (You can watch us singing their song “The Fruit of Spirit” from our YouTube playlist “A Short Note.”) Another album, which reinforces Scripture is “30 Scripture Songs.” The first time we listened to it, when the kids were small, I read each song’s related Scripture from the Bible before we listed to it on the CD. One day, I found the kids in my daughter’s room walking in circles holding their little New Testaments and singing. Isn’t that sweet! And isn’t that the point! Now that my kids are older, we have these albums on our Spotify list, and still enjoy pulling out some songs from time to time.
Wonderful beyond expression!