One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to memorize Romans 5 using the NLT. Yeah, like the whole chapter. It seems memorizing Bible verses is so passe, so, that’s-what-I-did-In-AWANA. We do not do it anymore. And yet, what is the Bible for us? It is the weapon of the Spirit! It tears through lies, it makes Satan leave, and it has life in it. Why am I not putting more of this into my mind?
In church last Sunday, Pastor Kim said something about who talks to you the most…and it is ourselves. It is true. We are always talking to ourselves. How much of it is true? God’s Word is always true and it always brings Life.
When my brother had an accident in July. I ended up driving to the hospital several times in those next couple hours to pick things up from home to bring to him before they transported him to a bigger hospital. That was 4, 45 minutes drives. There were thoughts of “if only, should’ve-would’ve-could’ve, is he going to be ok? what comes next?, etc, etc” my mind was racing. So, I pulled out my index cards that have Romans 5 verses on them and started going over what I know, and new verses. I had such a peace. It was unreal. It was my Lord. I drove the last way smiling and praising God, not for the accident, but that God is big enough to handle this and that He is there. I set my mind on things above like Colossians tells us to do. Game Changer, you guys! So cool!
I really think Satan has blinded us to the power of the Word. He knows if we disregard it, he can lie to us and accuse us and turn our minds to him and on earthly things and we will be powerless. And so he does lie. He says a few things:
—Just check Facebook one more time and then go read your Bible.
—You have too many other things to do today, read your Bible tomorrow.
—You won’t even understand it, if you read it, so just leave it.
—It is not true. It can’t be. Why read it?
—The Bible is so old, it has nothing to do with your life today.
I have never regretted spending time reading my Bible. Instead, there is more regretting not reading it more. And there is a hunger that grows in me. I want more. I want to memorize more because that helps me meditate on it more.
I just love God’s Word. It was really when i started reading it in college that my life started to change. My mind changed, which changed my behavior. And the only thing I could think of was this transformational book had something to do with it.
That is why I love what I get to do in Ghana. I get to share and teach the Bible to young people. May they love it at an early age. May they apply it to their hearts. May their lives be transformed by the power of the Spirit. Then we watch and see what God will do.
Love you. Thanks for praying!
p.s. i am on romans 5:16-17. it is such a powerful chapter! read it!!