Redeeming The Time

Time Posted on July 16, 2010 User Dakota Lynch

Those of you who have been memorizing for more than a little while know that taking time out of each day to concentrate completely and totally on God's Word is not always easy. With our hectic lives and busy schedules, it's easy to allow the cares of this world to steal from us the time that rightfully belongs to the Lord. What we're doing with our time (talking on the telephone, surfing the web, etc.) may not be inherently sinful, but if it keeps us out of the Word, then we need to reevaluate our priorities.

To be thoroughly transparent, I have been going through one of those "dry times" in which memorizing Scripture comes difficult to me and, with hundreds of memverse users out there, I'm confident that I am not alone. The verses just don't seem to be sticking in my memory, and finding the time - or perhaps making the time - seems more difficult than ever. No doubt the Word of God has not changed: I'm still memorizing from the same Book that imparted to me indescribable joy and peace just a few weeks ago. Surely, if I it brought me such joy then, it can bring me that same joy again today.

So what do we do then? Do we just stick to our routine and hope that things work out by themselves? Well, I guess that's an option; but I believe the answer to this problem is to simply rediscover the joy of memorizing Scripture. Think back for a moment of time to the day when you committed your very first Bible verse, or perhaps an entire chapter, to memory. Do you remember the joy that flooded your soul as you began to uncover the hidden treasures found in God's Word? If so, know that the same joy you had then can be found in the same place you discovered it in the first place: the Scriptures.


Perhaps you have never felt this way. Maybe you've been memorizing for months, or even years, and you're still going strong. If that's the case, congratulations! But let me encourage you to bookmark this page, because you'll likely need it at some point in the future.

What's your story? Have you ever been, or are you now, discouraged in your memorization? How did you overcome that discouragement? We'd love to hear, and be encouraged by,  your testimony!
 


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7 responses to Redeeming The Time

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Alex Watt

I was just reading Psalm 119 and it helped fire me up about memorizing.

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Paul Zak

Dakota, thanks for that post - it was an encouragement to me at this time as I've been going through one of those dry times as well. As you said, it is soooo easy to let the busy days and cares of this world take over our time in God's Word. Thanks for the clear reminder to keep our priority on God's word. Only if we delight in the word of God will we be "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither." (Psalm 1)

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Naomi

i agree dakota. i love to do memverse and since im homeschooled its supposed to be part of my lessons. but latley we have been away from home for my grandpa's funeral. how in the world was i supposed to find the time there!? out there its HECTIC! i missed memverse and now im so glad im back home. i can do memverse whenever i want at home.

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Dakota Lynch

I know what you mean, Naomi. We go camping several times in the summer, and I always hate being away from memverse. It's usually one of the first things I do when we get back. I don't know how I'd manage without it.

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Jim Woychuk

Thanks for your honesty, Dakota, Paul, Alex, and Naomi. Having times when memory work is going great guns and times when it's tougher is my experience also, and I do believe it's the nature of our warfare to have to fight for that self-control and mental habit of memorizing and meditating. So much noise and busyness.

I also take comfort from the thought that, with trees planted by the rivers of water, not every season is fruit-bearing season. Thinking with the parable of the sower, not every season sees the same amount of planting.

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Andy

This is a great topic. My guess is that different people handle "dry times" differently. In my case, I view it a little bit like training for a sport - there are times when you go out and your legs feel stiff, you're lonely because you're the only one out there while everyone else is sleeping in. But you know that when the time comes the discipline will have paid off. So I guess I start with the expectation that it's not supposed to be easy all the time. Just like most worthwhile things in life.

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River La Belle

"Perhaps you have never felt this way. Maybe you've been memorizing for months, or even years, and you're still going strong. If that's the case, congratulations! But let me encourage you to bookmark this page, because you'll likely need it at some point in the future."
EXACTLY!!!

I've been having a hard time making time to memorize Scripture. Thank you, Dakota for this post. When I first read it several months ago, I wasn't having any problems at all finding time! But now is when I needed it. Again, thank you. What a blessing.


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