“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10
I recently turned these verses into the most ridiculous-sounding song.
Imagine the corniest-sounding game show theme song ever. Okay, you’re now almost close to the tone of this silly tune. Don’t sing with a sweet-sounding voice. Instead, it should be loud and (dare I say) as annoying as possible.
I’ve been reading through Isaiah in my quiet times. While doing so, I’ve deeply appreciated the truth in this promise from the Lord.
Equally important, I knew how meaningful this promise would be for my children. They also have fears, desires, and dreams in their own lives. How powerful would this truth become if it churned in both my mind and theirs throughout the day?
Knowing this, out came the silly voice and the catchy melody.
Examples to Follow
The Psalmist gave us an example to follow when he wrote in Psalm 119:11,
“I have hidden your word in my heart..”
Christian, are you attempting to hide God’s Word in your heart? Many people think it’s too hard to accomplish. However, it’s incredible what we are capable of memorizing on a day-to-day basis.
We can so easily memorize fashion styles, computer shortcuts, sports statistics, directions, movie lines, song lyrics, and more. These can be valuable and entertaining pieces of information to memorize for sure. But, in most cases, it is far less important than the infallible Word of God.
Look at Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Timothy writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Worth the Effort
As Believers, we know the Word of Jesus is precious. However, if we are honest, we need to grow in our commitment to storing God’s Word in our hearts. Nothing is more transformative, encouraging, convicting, or life-altering than the perfect Word of Christ. Perhaps you know this. But, if you’re like me, memorizing God’s Word is hard for you. Indeed, there are few things more worth the effort.
Christian, this week, challenge yourself to memorize God’s Word. Write a verse down and put it somewhere prominent in your home. Together with that, challenge your family to learn a passage together. If that’s difficult for you, take a familiar song and replace the lyrics with verses. Without a doubt, there is nothing quite like the Star Wars theme song to add words to. In the same way, if it’s helpful, memorize the section with hand motions. Do whatever it may take to sink it into your soul; you will never regret it.
Memorizing with you,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor