Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:8
The word of God at the time of Joshua's life consisted of the first five books of the Bible. In Joshua chapter one, God sends Joshua off as the leader of the Israelites after Moses's death. God himself tells Joshua to speak the word, meditate on the word constantly and to be obedient to the word. Marinate in the word of God. How does this apply to us at this time? The only difference is that we have a larger book to consider. To be obedient to this verse requires a knowledge of all that is contained in the sixty-six books of the Bible. Therefore, it stands to reason that we should be reading the book in it's totality over and over. So, we must first read the word of God. But, the Lord calls us to more. To keep the word from departing from our mouths, we must incorporate it into our conversations and into that which we teach others. We must memorize the word to be able to speak it without reading it. God also calls us to think about his word constantly. We must apply his word to our every day lives and consider deeply the meaning of that which God has spoken. Finally, God calls us to obedience to his word. Read, speak, think, obey. This is God's call to the disciple of Christ. Is less acceptable in light of all Chris did for us?
Showing posts with label Scripture Memory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scripture Memory. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Scripture Memory
"The practice of scripture memory is more important than a daily quiet time, for as we fill our minds with great passages of the Bible and have them available for our meditation, quiet time takes over the entirety of our lives." --Dallas Willard, The Great Omission.
Scripture memory seems to increase my ability to practice the presence of God. In the circumstances of life, the Word I have committed to memory bubbles up from inside at the calling of the Spirit of God (Jn 14:26) to remind me of who He is and of my position in Christ. God tells us to memorize scripture (Josh 1:8), and knowing scripture is mandatory if we are to be obedient to Gods commands (Jn 14:21). God gives understanding of his Word over time if we look to his Spirit as the teacher of the it's meaning (Jn 14:26, Ps 119:18). I sometimes find quiet times difficult, and to me, it is reassuring to note that working on scripture memory during dry times can be profitable.
Scripture memory seems to increase my ability to practice the presence of God. In the circumstances of life, the Word I have committed to memory bubbles up from inside at the calling of the Spirit of God (Jn 14:26) to remind me of who He is and of my position in Christ. God tells us to memorize scripture (Josh 1:8), and knowing scripture is mandatory if we are to be obedient to Gods commands (Jn 14:21). God gives understanding of his Word over time if we look to his Spirit as the teacher of the it's meaning (Jn 14:26, Ps 119:18). I sometimes find quiet times difficult, and to me, it is reassuring to note that working on scripture memory during dry times can be profitable.
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