Using Your Bible As A Source Of Christian Growth
DAY 2
Using Your Bible as a Source of Christian Growth
Read Psalms 119:11,15-16; 40:8.
Your daily quiet time should always focus on Scripture. The indwelling Christ will speak to your heart as you read and meditate on the Word of God. While you work through Survival Kit, you should read the assigned passage at the beginning of each day’s study. Then use the questions you learned yesterday to meditate on the passage.
Do you have a good study Bible? Buying one of these will be a good investment in your spiritual growth. You’ll gain a better understanding of many passages if you use a modern translation. As a rule, unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures used in this book are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, a modern translation that accurately presents the Bible’s original meaning in clear, readable language.
You may have a problem finding books, chapters, and verses in your Bible. That’s OK. Many of your fellow Christians have the same problem. Don’t hesitate to use the contents page at the front of your Bible to locate a book.
Today’s verses are in the Psalms. Scan the Book of Psalms and notice the arrangement of the chapters (large numbers) and verses (small numbers). Find and read Psalm 119:11. Where did the writer say he kept the Word of God?
One way we say, “I have it memorized” is “I know it by heart.” The writer of Psalm 119:11 used that same word, heart, to identify where he kept God’s Word.
The last part of that same verse tells one great value of memorizing Scripture. What’s that value? Record it here.
Memorizing God’s Word can help you keep from sinning against God. Now locate and read Psalm 40:8. If you don’t have a Bible nearby, where can you keep a supply of Scripture for use in any emergency?
Locate Psalm 119 and read verses 15-16. Those verses tell you something that will happen to you more fully as you develop the discipline of memorizing God’s Word. Describe what will happen to you.
Isn’t knowing you’ll enjoy greater joy and pleasure as you memorize God’s Word exciting? And you can memorize God’s Word as easily as you’ve memorized many other details.
Highlight the areas in which you currently use your memory to recall needed information.
Telephone numbers
Street names
ZIP codes
Names of people
Future dates
License numbers
Mathematical formulas
Scripture verses
Spellings of words
Passwords
No other word of advice in Survival Kit will have greater value for your spiritual growth than this one:
Make memorizing Scripture a regular habit.
You can easily memorize Scripture. To get started, locate the eight Scripture-memory cards printed at the back of your book. The cards are designed to be pocket-sized so that you can cut them off and refer to them as you need them. The first verse you’ll learn is Psalm 119:11.
Why bother to learn the exact words of a Scripture verse? Let me suggest four reasons.
1. It’s easier to recall a verse word for word than in a vaguely summarized form.
2. It’s easier to meditate on a verse when you can repeat it to yourself.
3. Verses you’ve memorized will strengthen you and give you assurance when you’re fighting temptation, telling others about Christ, and explaining what you believe.
4. Above all, the Lord of your life wants you to know His holy Word.
Can you add other benefits of memorizing Scripture?
Begin now. Cut out the verses as they’re assigned in your daily studies. From now on you should memorize one new verse each week through week 3. In weeks 4 and 5 you should memorize two Scripture passages each week. Display the verses in prominent places: above the kitchen sink, on the bathroom mirror, over your workbench or desk, or near your computer. Where you display the verses isn’t as important as displaying them in a place where you’ll see them often. With a little planning and effort you can use brief bits of time during the day that are now idle. You can memorize while dressing, riding, exercising, waiting, resting, and so on.
Identify four places where you can display your Scripture-memory cards.
As you continue to memorize verses, regularly review all of the verses you’ve learned. You must reinforce your learning if you expect it to stay with you. To review, turn the cards so that you see the side with the printed reference. Say that verse out loud to yourself. Then turn the card over to see if you repeated it perfectly. If you repeated the verse perfectly, set the card aside. If you didn’t repeat the verse perfectly, return it to the bottom of the stack.
Scripture is your source of authority, your guidebook as a Christian. Having Scripture available when you need it is important. And many times when you need Scripture most, you may not have a Bible.
Learn your verses as though your spiritual growth depended on it—because it does!
Are you ready to commit yourself to a pattern of regularly memorizing Scripture? If so, use your own words to write a personal note to Christ expressing your commitment to hide His Word in your heart.
Dear Jesus,
Using Your Bible as a Source of Christian Growth
Read Psalms 119:11,15-16; 40:8.
Your daily quiet time should always focus on Scripture. The indwelling Christ will speak to your heart as you read and meditate on the Word of God. While you work through Survival Kit, you should read the assigned passage at the beginning of each day’s study. Then use the questions you learned yesterday to meditate on the passage.
Do you have a good study Bible? Buying one of these will be a good investment in your spiritual growth. You’ll gain a better understanding of many passages if you use a modern translation. As a rule, unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures used in this book are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, a modern translation that accurately presents the Bible’s original meaning in clear, readable language.
You may have a problem finding books, chapters, and verses in your Bible. That’s OK. Many of your fellow Christians have the same problem. Don’t hesitate to use the contents page at the front of your Bible to locate a book.
Today’s verses are in the Psalms. Scan the Book of Psalms and notice the arrangement of the chapters (large numbers) and verses (small numbers). Find and read Psalm 119:11. Where did the writer say he kept the Word of God?
One way we say, “I have it memorized” is “I know it by heart.” The writer of Psalm 119:11 used that same word, heart, to identify where he kept God’s Word.
The last part of that same verse tells one great value of memorizing Scripture. What’s that value? Record it here.
Memorizing God’s Word can help you keep from sinning against God. Now locate and read Psalm 40:8. If you don’t have a Bible nearby, where can you keep a supply of Scripture for use in any emergency?
Locate Psalm 119 and read verses 15-16. Those verses tell you something that will happen to you more fully as you develop the discipline of memorizing God’s Word. Describe what will happen to you.
Isn’t knowing you’ll enjoy greater joy and pleasure as you memorize God’s Word exciting? And you can memorize God’s Word as easily as you’ve memorized many other details.
Highlight the areas in which you currently use your memory to recall needed information.
Telephone numbers
Street names
ZIP codes
Names of people
Future dates
License numbers
Mathematical formulas
Scripture verses
Spellings of words
Passwords
No other word of advice in Survival Kit will have greater value for your spiritual growth than this one:
Make memorizing Scripture a regular habit.
You can easily memorize Scripture. To get started, locate the eight Scripture-memory cards printed at the back of your book. The cards are designed to be pocket-sized so that you can cut them off and refer to them as you need them. The first verse you’ll learn is Psalm 119:11.
Why bother to learn the exact words of a Scripture verse? Let me suggest four reasons.
1. It’s easier to recall a verse word for word than in a vaguely summarized form.
2. It’s easier to meditate on a verse when you can repeat it to yourself.
3. Verses you’ve memorized will strengthen you and give you assurance when you’re fighting temptation, telling others about Christ, and explaining what you believe.
4. Above all, the Lord of your life wants you to know His holy Word.
Can you add other benefits of memorizing Scripture?
Begin now. Cut out the verses as they’re assigned in your daily studies. From now on you should memorize one new verse each week through week 3. In weeks 4 and 5 you should memorize two Scripture passages each week. Display the verses in prominent places: above the kitchen sink, on the bathroom mirror, over your workbench or desk, or near your computer. Where you display the verses isn’t as important as displaying them in a place where you’ll see them often. With a little planning and effort you can use brief bits of time during the day that are now idle. You can memorize while dressing, riding, exercising, waiting, resting, and so on.
Identify four places where you can display your Scripture-memory cards.
As you continue to memorize verses, regularly review all of the verses you’ve learned. You must reinforce your learning if you expect it to stay with you. To review, turn the cards so that you see the side with the printed reference. Say that verse out loud to yourself. Then turn the card over to see if you repeated it perfectly. If you repeated the verse perfectly, set the card aside. If you didn’t repeat the verse perfectly, return it to the bottom of the stack.
Scripture is your source of authority, your guidebook as a Christian. Having Scripture available when you need it is important. And many times when you need Scripture most, you may not have a Bible.
Learn your verses as though your spiritual growth depended on it—because it does!
Are you ready to commit yourself to a pattern of regularly memorizing Scripture? If so, use your own words to write a personal note to Christ expressing your commitment to hide His Word in your heart.
Dear Jesus,