Memorizing Scripture

Last week finished journaling through Colossians. I love that letter! Paul encourages us "let the word of God dwell in you richly as you teach one another . . ." The word stored in my heart should be of "Walton proportion" - it should be rich! Sadly to confess, it looks more like a "pauper's portion" - I haven't done much memorizing in the last couple of years, so - last week I picked several passages (some paragraphs) from Colossians that I wanted to re-memorize. Its a discipline that I've put on the shelf.

I would encourage you to do the same. Memorize scripture! Get the word of God in your heart! Why memorize if you will just forget a lot of it? A student asked Jimmy Allen, long time Bible professor at Harding University, the same question. I never have forgotten Allen's response. You see, if you took Allen for any class - Romans, Hebrews, - he made you memorize whole chapters! You were tested on it - you simply wrote out the chapter on a piece of paper in whatever version you used. Every comma, word missed or added - was one point off.

So this student asked the question - why are we doing this if we'll just forget most of it? Allen didn't flinch - he said, "Let's say you have a dirty basket. You take it down to the river and fill it with water. Will it hold the water long? No. It will leak. However, will the basket be cleaner for having gone through the process? Yes! You have a dirty heart. I have I dirty heart. Full of sin. When you memorize scripture, you are filling it with God's holy word. Most of it will leak out, but your heart will be purer for the process."

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Make a depoist today! Memorize a verse. God's banking on it!