Why I'm not memorizing the Bible

Yes, you read that correctly. I’m not being sarcastic–it is possible for Bible memory to be a stumbling block for Christians.

Bible Bee opened my eyes and taught me something about myself: I was capable of memorizing huge portions of Scripture. Before 2009, I struggled getting through my one verse a week for school. After the 2009 National Bible Bee, I began memorizing verses, chapters, books "for fun" during my personal devotions. I learned so much and developed a love for Scripture unlike anything I had ever known. Yet at the same time, I began falling into the dangerous trap of turning Bible study into an academic exercise.

Eager to learn more, I continued to keep a vigorous memory schedule during the months I was not participating in Bible Bee. Last year, as a 10^th grader, I made it my goal to have the entire New Testament memorized by the time I finished college. I figured out approximately how many verses I needed to learn per month and fulfilled my quota. If I continued my plan, I would have all but two epistles memorized by the end of the school year. I could definitely do this.

The past few weeks have been extremely busy for me. School and extracurricular activities all managed to coincide their deadlines. In between a few hours’ sleep and a cup of coffee, I continued my memory work, loving the Word but struggling to keep up.

My mom had warned me before not to speed-memorize the Bible. We’re supposed to meditate on it. Feed on it. Not just slurp it down. I justified my method, feeling that the constant read, memorize, review that I did every single day was anything but speedy.

Then, I realized I had fallen into the trap. Bible memory was becoming something I do. It’s not supposed to be that way. It’s supposed to be God working in us, not cramming facts into our minds as a mental exercise. God still worked in me as I crammed the facts, but I was so busy "just getting through" that I didn’t leave time to listen to Him.

Here are a few "traps" that I fell into:

• I love challenges.  I enjoy training my mind to do something new and love the thrill of accomplishing it.
• I’m being a good Christian.
• We’re supposed to meditate on His Word day and night, so the more words knew the better. Forget the quality as long as there’s quantity.
• I want to do well at Bible Bee. Memorizing more would give me a better foundation when competition season starts.
• I do everything fast (well, not when I’m driving. Apparently I’m too slow then...). Talking, reading, playing piano–everything’s best at top speed. Naturally, Bible memory also became a game to see how quickly I could memorize.
• And, of course, there’s that little giant called pride. It makes me feel good to know how devoted I am to the Bible (obviously there’s a problem with that. It’s called self-justification. It doesn’t work. Memorizing words won’t save you, but meeting the Word will).

I’m going to continue studying and memorizing Scripture, but I think I will change my goal. Rather than aim for memorizing huge hunks of the Bible, I’m going to slow down and focus on each individual verse. I’ll keep reviewing old verses; hopefully, I will fully learn them! Oh the depth of the riches–who can fully know the glorious mysteries of Christ? When Bible Bee starts, I’ll do more new memory work again, but for now, I think I will slow down and learn to quiet my heart and meditate on the wonder of God. Eventually, I would like to have the whole New Testament–or, Lord willing, the entire Bible–memorized, but for now, I will slow down and take it verse by verse, step by step; always pressing toward the goal, but not being consumed with the prize; running steadily with endurance rather than running quickly and stumbling.

The difference

I have a big piano audition this Saturday. Since I didn’t practice very much last month, I’m having to do a lot extra now. This weekend, I had a brilliant thought. If I could spend my entire Saturday studying Bible Bee, why not try practicing piano all day?

I learned something: Studying the Bible and practicing piano have very little in common. I enjoy both a lot, but there is no question which is better! When we’re studying the Bible, we are studying the Word of God. That Word created the world. It destroyed the ancient world. It preserves the present world (2 Peter 3:5-7). But most importantly, that Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and Truth (John 1:14). Think about that...isn’t it amazing? Studying the Word is never a burden; it is a privilege. Trying to find the same joy and fulfillment in a Chopin ballade is pointless. It doesn’t matter how much you enjoy something–it never gave you life, and it won’t give you a purpose for life. Only Christ can do that.

During this time of year, there are lots of things that keep us busy...school, music recitals, sports games, shopping, Christmas parties...it’s a time when culture is shoving lies on customers who are only too willing to buy. People are longing for the truth, but they can’t buy it at the mall like they can a new sweater. We see words like "Joy," "Peace," and "Hope" everywhere. Joy–from what? Peace–toward whom? Hope–in what? Those words are meaningless and empty without Christ. Nothing culture offers is going to satisfy us. But the Word made flesh can. He offers us Joy from the Father, Peace with God, Hope in Himself.

As life gets busy with Christmas celebrations, remember that, without Christ, all the fullness of the Christmas season is really a cry of want from a hungry world. Only He can come as the Bread of Life and fill them.

Book of Treasure

Here is a poem I composed about Bible reading and studying.  It also applies to Scripture memory.  I pray that each of you may learn to love the Word of God greatly through our time with the Bible Bee.  The Bible is a Book full of treasures that God desires us to explore.  By reading and studying and memorizing His word we are able to know Him better.  This is my prayer for all of you, that you will gain treasure from His word abundantly.

Book of Treasure

How often when we read the Book,
Do we forget to take a look?
For Truth within the cover there,
Or words of Wisdom, pure and fair.

The Bible is God’s Word so pure,
It is divine, rooted and sure.
Trusting in others is absurd.
The Book of Treasure is God’s Word.

The key to unlock this Treasure:
His Word in our hearts with pleasure.
Searching for Wisdom so we find,
Jewels so rare, His Word divine.

The Bible is God’s Word so pure.
It is divine, rooted and sure.
Trusting in others is absurd.
The Book of Treasure is God’s Word.

So take a look within God’s Book,
Digging for a much deeper look,
Seeking the Lord with all your heart.
His Word has treasure to impart.

The Bible is God’s Word so pure.
It is divine, rooted and sure.
Trusting in others is absurd.
The Book of Treasure is God’s Word.

                                By Marie Morris

Who am I?

This song by Casting Crowns has really ministered to me during these last few days and I wanted to share it with you:

Who am I?

That the Lord of all the earth,

Would care to know my name

Would care to feel my hurt?

Who am I?

That the Bright and Morning Star would choose to light the way

For my ever wandering heart?

{Chorus}

Not because of who I am,

But because of what You’ve done,

Not because of what I’ve done,

But because of who You are.

I am a flower quickly fading,

Here today and gone tomorrow,

A wave tossed in the ocean,

A vapor in the wind.

Still you hear me when I’m calling,

Lord, You catch me when I’m falling,

And You told me who I am:

I am Yours.

I am Yours.

Who am I? That the eyes that see my sin,

Would look on my with love,

And watch me rise again?

Who am I?

That the voice that calm the sea,

Would call out through the rain,

And calm the storm in me?

{Chorus}

Whom shall I fear?

Whom shall I fear.

‘Cuz I am Yours.

I am Yours.

Wow, I mean, isn't it just great that we can have a intimate relationship with the Lord of the universe?! That the God of all the earth would care for us and choose to make us His?! Amazing! Yet, so many times we forget. We get so caught up in the things of this life. We take it for granted that we are actually God's children. We just go about our daily lives and never let that fact impact the way we live. We don't take time to get to know our Father better, even though we've been given that AWESOME opportunity.

This summer, most of us will be intensely studying the Word of God. Did you catch that? The Word of God. Wow! Isn't it simply wonderful that we have a opportunity to study the very words of God? Don't let that fact loose its wonder. And as we study this summer, lets not take it for granted that we are able to get to know the Word of God and thus get to know God Himself. We need to treasure the opportunity that we have and allow what we learn to radically impact our lives.

Blessings!

Ready, set, go!

The day after tomorrow, Bible Bee starts! We’ve counted down the days till we can study again. We’ve guessed which book they’ll use for the sword study. We’ve told all our friends and family ages 7-18 to sign up. And now, it’s almost time!

We are obviously preparing for the Bible Bee competition. Some people have critiqued Bible Bee as being a mercenary way to get kids to study the Bible; maybe that is partly true for some people. But once you’re in the Bee, you know that the real prize isn’t just a check or a trophy–it’s having the Bible hidden in your heart! We all know that is the real prize–don’t forget what we’re working towards!

While I think that it’s wrong if the only reason someone is doing the Bible Bee is for a prize, I think that making Bible memory a competition is a good thing. The Bible often compares the Christian life as someone working towards a prize. Beyond the level of a physical prize, the Christian runs for a spiritual prize...the “imperishable crown.” Whether or not we are recognized by the world as the winner of the Bible Bee, we can have confidence and joy in the competition because we all win when we learn the Bible.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27–Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Hebrews12:1-3--Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

2 Timothy 4:7–I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Let’s not loose focus of our goal. We all know what the prize is; I pray none of us are distracted from it by anything else! Use the Bible Bee competition as a starting place in the race. We’ll all have to keep running afterward, but we can use this summer study time as an opportunity to get a flying start. Finish the race!

The Word of the Lord

If someone was to ask you what was the most important word ever, what would you say?

If someone asked you where you find medicine that would heal you from a deadly disease and make you live eternally, where would you tell them?

If someone asked you why you have joy and hope in a sin-filled world, what would be your answer?

The most important gift we have been given is life. Before you can be given anything else, you have to be alive. Where do you find life? We find life in the Word of the Lord! In the very beginning, before the world was created, there was the Word (John 1:1). Then, the Word created! God spoke, and the world was. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth" (Genesis 1:26). The only place we can get life is from God–He is the One who gives life to all things. As Christians, He has given us another special gift: Joy. Joy is found in the same place as life–in God! You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forever more (Psalm 16:11). “Fullness of joy?!” What else can actually fulfill the promise of giving joy so completely full it can’t get any better? Nothing else can. Only God can give us life and joy. We need something to keep us alive, though–we need our daily bread. And that’s where the Word of the Lord comes back in. Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts (Jeremiah 15:16). When you walk into the kitchen and smell a delicious cake in the oven, you get excited–it would be the “rejoicing of your heart” if your mom walked in and said the whole cake was for you☺ Jeremiah, one of the Old Testament prophets, thought the same thing about the Word of the Lord. He said that when the Word came to him, he ate it, and it was good. Eating God’s Word gave him joy. Just as food gives life to our bodies, the Word of God–the Bible–gives life to our spirits.

Joy and life are not the only things that can be found in the Word. Psalm 119 talks all about the Word. In fact, in the entire Psalm, there are only three verses that do not specifically refer to the Word! The Word comforts and gives life (50); it is something worthy of our love (97); it gives light (97); it is something in which we can hope (114). Try getting out a notebook and writing down everything this Psalm says about the Word. The Word is amazing!


So what is the word that has life? Where can you find joy, peace, and hope? What is the most important word? The Word!