More than memorizing

Deuteronomy 11:18 "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads."

To me, this verse is God asking us to remember Him. We are, by human nature forgetful. When God says to "fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds," He means to not only read His word, the Bible, but also to "fix" it on our hearts and minds. When we fix it on our heart, we understand the importance of it and try to apply it to our lives, and when we fix it on our mind, we memorize it. This is why it is so crucial to memorize God's word, not merely read it. People have always asked me, "what's the point of memorizing Bible verses?" It's as simple as this: because then we can easily remember what God is saying to us. Every day, I get up to read the Bible. What good does it do if I don't remember what I read? How then am I supposed to apply it to my life? It's amazing what happens when you memorize God's word.

Tuesday, I woke up with a verse in my head. I didn't put it there, God did. After writing the encouraging post on Monday about being optimistic, I decided to put it to work. I asked God to give me opportunities to proclaim His name and always be joyful, thanking Him in all circumstances. I made it a goal not to complain. "Hallelujah!" I thought, because God answered my prayer the second I jumped out of bed. Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." It's a common verse, yes. Many are familiar with it and as I went about my day with enthusiasm, I shared the verse with everyone I met. Despite the fact that everyone said, "yeah, well I've heard that before," I couldn't help wonder if they actually knew what it signified. Did they truly know what it meant to "rejoice" in the Lord because He had created a new day? Did they actually appreciate the day God had made? If only they had. At least I got some comfort knowing that I was giving glory to God, despite the difference it made to the individuals I shared it to. I was praising Him and rejoicing in the brand new Tuesday He had made for me to enjoy.

Even with memorizing God's word and fixing it on my heart and mind, I am still forgetful. How can this be? Notice how the ending of the verse Deuteronomy 11:18) goes: "tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." Unfortunately, verses don't randomly pop in my head every morning. However, if I set apart reminders throughout my day, I can focus on God without forgeting His amazing love. The Israelites struggled with remembering what God had done for them, so He told them to wear symbols and have daily reminders. I know for me, it helps to write the Bible verses down and put them in my backpack, planner, pocket, or even on my bathroom mirror in the form of sticky notes. Whatever it takes to remember God, I'll do it. It certainly helps to pray to God as well. To ask Him for the ability to memorize Bible verses and to apply them to your life. Look how He answered my prayer! I started my day off right with the perfect verse.

After pondering on these thoughts, I decided I would try a new idea. How about having a daily Bible verse to think on each day and to commit to memory. Think about it. How much time do you spend daily on homework, memorizing that Spanish vocabulary or those calculus equations? School is important, but God's word is far more fulfilling and greater. I would rather spend my time memorzing scripture. If God gave us the ability to memorize and the sharp mind of a youth, than why not use those talents and gifts to further His kingdom? People wonder how I can memorize so many verses, but if you can memorize Latin roots for biology, why not God's word? It's no different. The only thing that keeps people from doing it is priorities. My top priority on Earth is to live for Jesus. It only makes sense to fix my heart and mind on His word.

-Open Bible picture found on Google.