His Word have I hid in my heart…

I have feasted on His Word since I was young, carrying about my big, bulky, green padded covered Living Bible.

It’s still on my shelf, with the markings and immature handwriting of a much younger me.

His Word is part of me, in my mind and heart, from years and years of reading it over and over.

I can picture the verses on the page, and turn to them, knowing which book of the Bible the verse is in, and which side of the page I will find it on in my Amplified Bible.

But memorizing it perfectly, word for word exact with the reference, has not been my strength.  Last year I decided to memorize a verse a day for a month.  I failed before I began…too much, too fast.  This year I am memorizing one verse every two weeks…much more do-able.  This way I can meditate on the verse, savor it, pray over it, digest it, let it become a part of the sinew and bone that is me.

First, I pray and ask, “Which verse Lord?”  After all, there are so overwhelmingly many great ones!  Since my theme word for this year is HOPE, I felt to memorize Jeremiah 29:11 in the New Living Translation for my first verse. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  I already was very familiar with this verse, as I am sure many people are.  I wondered if it was “cheating” or “too easy” or “too obvious” of a choice, but it was such a blessing to me to imprint it on my mind and heart word for word.  For two weeks, I chewed on this promise, and as I go back and review it, I will continue to receive spiritual nourishment from it.

I am now working on my second verse, another one with the theme of HOPE.  It is Romans 15:13 in the Amplified Bible. “ May the God of your hope so fill you will all joy and peace in believing, (through the experience of your faith), that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.”

Once I have the verse chosen, I write it on my little spiral bound note cards.(You can buy them for under $2 in the office supply section at most stores.  I decorated the cover of mine.  You can also purchase them on Beth Moore’s blog.) Writing the verse out really helps me, a visual learner.  The notecards are kept open to the verse I am currently working on and are kept near my Bible, journal, and devotional materials.

One of the biggest helps to me has been the purchase of this chalkboard.  I bought it and painted the frame a color that went well with my décor.  Then I hung it in an obvious, well seen place, in my dining room.  With a chalkboard marker, I write out the verse I am currently working on.  Now, whenever I am cooking, or cleaning, or puttering around the house, the verse is there in front of me.  That way I can easily take a moment, read it, review it, close my eyes and try to say it.  An added bonus is that the verse is visible to encourage my husband or anyone else who may come to my house.

None of these tips are all that profound, but I find that they are working for me, and thought they might be helpful to you too!

Still following,

Elizabeth