Day 19--we're over the hump! How is everyone coming along?Before I give my personal update, I have a couple of links to share. First is a recent interview with Ryan Ferguson at Challies.com. I first heard of Ferguson when I saw a video of him reciting Hebrews 9-10 at Worship God '06. Very powerful! He has some great exhortations to take to heart as you seek to commit God's Word to memory.
And lest you think memorization is just for grown-ups...Orison Piper shows us how powerful little ones' minds are when it comes to remembering God's Word. Check out his precious dramatic recitation of Luke 2, which includes an impromptu musical interlude. Love it.
As for me, I'm sort of amazed at the impact Mega Memory Month is having on my discipline and consistency. With my method, the question is generally not "Can I remember all this text?" but rather, "Can I follow through with the memory work every day?" If I do the steps, I can memorize it; it's a matter of actually doing the steps.
I'm happy to report that for the last two and a half weeks, God has given me much grace to stick with my commitment. I'm excited about what I'm memorizing and haven't missed a day yet. Yesterday was a close call, though! I had recited the previous day's verse and the entire text earlier in the day, but after church/lunch/nap, got busy preparing to host some friends for dinner and completely forgot about working on the next part. I was just about ready to climb into bed when I realized I hadn't finished the day's memory work! Afraid to get behind, I ran through my sentences and then made up the journaling this morning--so I'll have to work on today's lines later this afternoon, to give the morning's work time to settle in.
This memory work has been so valuable to me as I seek to truly understand who God is, how He sees me and how I relate to Him. I want to learn to live day-to-day in a way that allows the truth of the gospel to shape my actions and reactions. Here are the beautiful lines I've memorized the last couple of days:
"Now when my time came and I placed my faith in Jesus, God instantly granted me a great salvation. He forgave me all of my sins, past, present, and future. He made me His child, adopting me into His family. He gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives me God's power, who pours out God's love within my heart, and who tenderly communicates to my spirit that I am a child of God and an heir of eternal glory in heaven."
Forgiveness, adoption, power, love, an eternal inheritance in heaven--such priceless, incredible gifts! And I've hardly begun to memorize a fraction of the blessings that are mine in Christ. Today I am thanking Him for power to change and to memorize such glorious truths so that I can cling to them each day.
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3 comments:
Wow, what a great post, Amy! I'm so eager to visit those links you've given (and be inspired).
The accountability of knowing you're out there working on your own commitment is so helpful to me, too.
Today, it seemed as if all of my devotional "tools" came together. The passage I was reading in my One-Year Bible and My Utmost and my memory work all together is reminding me to do the Father's will.
This is what I want--to be at the center of His will, obedient, yielding, open, loving and loved.
Thanks for another great post, and I celebrate what you're retaining, as it makes that long journey from head to heart--maybe it won't be so long for you, with your great journaling!
Lovely post, Amy. Thanks for the links, the thoughts, the reminders.
I'm seeing ways in my own memorization journey that God is bringing the points of the text I'm memorizing into play in my attitudes and actions. Isn't He great, to work that way? :)
Carry on in strength for the last 12 days!
Thanks, Amy! I got such a kick out of seeing Orison's presentation of portions of Luke 2. It was just the smile that I needed today.
Also, thank you for the birthday card! Did you stamp it yourself? It was so creative and thoughtful. Thanks for your friendship. I miss you too.
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