October 28 – Wisdom Through Recall (Psalm 119:9-16)

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”(Psalm 119:11)

IN WORD:
Some Christians carry a Bible with them constantly, but most do not. Even if we did, however, we would not always have immediate access to the right verse for the right occasion. Even in a day of electronic micro-Bibles, on-the-spot research does not always lead to the right word for the moment. We need something more than gadgets and resources. And we need something more than the pages of Scripture at our side. We need them in our hearts.
We have prayed for God to give us His wisdom. We have meditated on His Word. But we want to contemplate it more thoroughly, more constantly, more effectively. We want the wasted moments of our day to be redeemed for spiritual growth. The best way for the Word to be written on our hearts is to learn it — by heart.
Many people associate memorization with learning historical dates or geometric formulas in high school. That was an imposed pressure with a potentially ominous grade pending. The very idea of memorization suffers in that context. But God does not threaten us with an ominous grade, and He does not impose His Word on us against our will. He invites us into it so we will invite it into us. That’s where real blessing is to be found; that’s where we enter into His mind and His thoughts become ours. Memorizing God’s Word is no boring task; it is a powerful tool that will guide us into His will

IN DEED:
When you’ve memorized a variety of Scripture passages, you will find them deeper and more relevant than ever before. When you’re in the midst of a crisis, the Spirit will bring the right word into your situation. When you are tempted, the sacred rebuttal will be on your tongue as it was with Jesus in His wilderness test. When a fellow believer has a deep need, the Spirit will bring up within you a deep word of counsel or hope. The Word of God becomes not a part of your baggage but part of you. It is written on a tablet of flesh, and you are its handiwork.

“I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture.”
-Charles Swindoll-