Day 27: Depend on grace {Tools for memorizing}

memorizing-is-grace

TO MEMORIZE

Repeat 3-5 times, twice a day.

6  “Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Isaiah 12:6

Practice using 1st letters, twice a day.

6  “S, a s f j, O i o Z, f g i y m i t H O o I.”

TO REVIEW

1  You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.
2  “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
3  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4  And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.
5  “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.”
Isaiah 12:1-5 (ESV)

1  Y w s i t d: “I w g t t y, O L, f t y w a w m, y a t a, t y m c m.
2  “B, G i m s; I w t, a w n b a; f t L G i m s a m s, a h h b m s.”
3  W j y w d w f t w o s.
4  A y w s i t d: “G t t t L, c u h n, m k h d a t p, p t h n i e.
5  “S p t t L, f h h d g; l t b m k i a t e.”

TO DO

1. Add in 1st letters for your newest verse.

Repeat your memory verse once in the morning and once in the afternoon looking at its 1st letters. For Isaiah 12, see 1st letters cards here and 1st letters one-page here.

2. Add newest verse to Scripture Typer.

Start typing in Isaiah 12:6 today. Review Isaiah 12:1-5.

3. Look up background information on your newest verse.

There are many great online commentaries or use your own study Bible. Or even google your verse to get a wide variety of interpretations.

I love David Guzik’s thoughts on Isaiah 12:6:

“This gives two reasons for great praise. First, because of who God is: the Holy One of Israel. Second, because of where God is: in your midst. Each of these gives everyone reason to praise God!”

TODAY’S TIP

* Use the words.

Now that you have a new bank of words in your vocabulary—and a new message of grace in your heart—don’t let them idle there. Find experiences in your life that they can apply to. Actively put them to good use

For example, this week’s verse tells us to sing for joy. So find or create a song that you can sing around the house or in your car on the way to work this week. Let’s live the message, not just learn the words. 

Here are 14 ways you can use scripture in an article about memorizing a whole book of the Bible (I’m not ready for that!—but the principles apply regardless of the amount of text you’re memorizing).

FINAL WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Stay dependent on grace. As I wrote to Jenna three years ago, memorizing scripture is a discipline.

But memorizing scripture is also a grace. It’s something we do. But it’s more what God does. 

As you’ve memorized verses this month and hopefully will continue to in the months ahead, let God’s grace be your source and guide for learning the words, retaining the words, using the words.

The Spirit has better plans for how to direct our thoughts through our memory verses than we do; let him. 

“Our spiritual growth is not left to our initiative, nor is it dependent upon our wisdom to know in which areas and in which direction we need to grow. Rather, it is God Himself who initiates and superintends our spiritual growth.
– Jerry Bridges

LINKS

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How have you used the words you’ve been memorizing? Please share in the comments.

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