30 Days in the Bible, Day 19: James 1:22-25

The way we see ourselves in our mind is seldom the same way we see ourselves in the mirror. I like to think that I look very much like I did about 15 years ago, but when I look in the mirror I see my father staring back at me. The truth is I don’t have a very good idea of my appearance in my memory, and that’s probably true for most people.

The same thing happens when we look at ourselves spiritually. It’s easy to focus on what we have done that is good, while minimizing our sin. We may tend to think of ourselves as better than we really are. On the other hand, some people are so conscious of particular sins that they begin to see themselves as worthless and not deserving of forgiveness. Both of these are distorted images of who we are.

That is why James encourages Christians to constantly look into God’s Word for an accurate reflection of who we are. In the Bible, we see that we are sinners, unworthy of heaven, but that through the grace of Jesus Christ we have been made right with God. We see that we are forgiven, not because we are worthy, but because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us on the cross and gave us forgiveness through faith in Him. We are neither perfect saints nor are we hopeless sinners. Through Christ we are sinners saved by grace, united with Him and always seeking to become more like Him.

This passage can tie in with what we saw yesterday about memorizing Scripture. With God’s Word hidden in our heart, we always have a mirror available to show us who we are. It’s a little like the way many women carry around a small compact mirror to check on their hair and makeup. We can check up on our spiritual condition by holding up passages from the Bible that speak to whatever we may encounter in our lives.

By reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word, while committing more and more of it to memory, we will have an accurate picture of who we are in Christ, how we relate to our heavenly Father, and how we can live in a way that please and honors Jesus. As we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us through the Word, we will grow more like Christ, and as we grow more like Him we will be able to show Jesus to those we encounter every day.

30 Days in the Bible, Day 18: Psalm 119:9-16

With all the access we have to information these days, we don’t often worry about memorizing material we come across. When my children ask my wife a question, she’ll tell them, “You have the knowledge of the universe in your pocket. Look it up!” With smart phones, tablets, computers, and other devices, we can find almost anything we want to know pretty quickly.

I believe that technology can be a real blessing for learning the Bible. Having the Bible on my phone makes my devotional reading easier, since I can have it at my fingertips in seconds. However, we can take the ease with which we can access Scripture and use it as an excuse to not get the Word into our hearts and minds. While the Bible on a phone is convenient, it isn’t always there to help us fight temptation or to find a verse to comfort or challenge someone with whom we are talking.

Years ago, when I was a child (yes, a very long time ago indeed!), Bible memory was an important part of our Christian education. As I grew older, I went through the Navigators Topical Memory System (still a very good resource). To this day, I often recite verses in the venerable language of the King James Version that I memorized during those days.

I think several factors have led to the lack of emphasis on Bible memory. First is the gradual elimination of Sunday school and related programs for children in the church. This is where much of my memorization began. Second is the proliferation of Bible versions. When most churches used one version, we heard the Scriptures in the same way everywhere, and it often allowed us to memorize passages almost by osmosis. Third is the way that society in general has placed less emphasis on memorization, including in our education system. All of these create new challenges for getting the Word into our hearts.

The psalmist mentions his own practice of hiding God’s Word in his heart. Jesus used memorized Scriptures to resist the temptations Satan threw at Him. Paul cited the Old Testament constantly in his epistles. Throughout the Bible, we see the results of having the Word not just at our fingertips, but in minds and hearts.

Bible memorization is an important spiritual discipline, one which you will find helpful if you make the effort. Choose a good translation of the Bible, set up a list of verses to memorize, and just get started. I find it helpful to print business-card sized reminders, or write out the verses I’m learning on pocket-sized slips of paper. Whatever tools help you, start to get God’s Word into your heart, and see how it works out into your life.

[NOTE: The Navigators have provided a list of verses from their Topical Memory System on their web site for free. You can find that list here.]