One year bible blog: January 3, 2009

I am loving the time I spend each day reading my bible. I am learning so much from the commentary at bible.org for each of the daily scriptures. It is a lot of reading to do, it takes me 1 to 1 1/2 hours to finish each day, but is completely worth it.

today's reading:
oneyearbibleblog.com

Genesis 5:1-7:24 ~ Matthew 3:7-4:11 ~ Psalm 3:1-8 ~ Proverbs 1:10-19

Here are the things that stood out to me today:

Genesis 5:1-7:24

I have to say I am so enjoying reading from Genesis. Today I was touched to read the genealogies in chapter 5 and see how God's chosen line for Jesus came from Seth and not Cain. When reading about the flood, I see how God saved Noah and enabled the line to continue for the Messiah to be born.

Matthew 3:7-4:11

In Matthew today I see how Jesus used the word of God to defeat Satan when he was being tempted. If Jesus needed to remember and quote scripture, how much more do we need to do the same?

I have already started a scripture memory system with my children. We have been learning scriptures from the book of Proverbs and we have memorized about 30 scriptures so far. Here is a link to the scripture memory system we are using. It is so easy to set up and use, for yourself and your entire family.

Also, Jesus was baptized before he began his ministry. This also shows his dependence on the Holy Spirit while he was here on earth. Like wise, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit for power to resist sin and temptation, and to the work that God has called us to do, whatever that work might be, for preaching in a third world country to being a homemaker and raising Godly children. We can't do it without the power and leading of the Spirit of God.

I read the following from a post on the one year bible blog and I wanted to share it with you so I copied it:

WHY MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE?

1. To avoid sin.

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

that I might not sin against thee."

Psalm 119:11

2. Out of obedience.

"My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

Keep my commandments, and live;

and my law as the apple of thine eye.

Bind them upon thy fingers,

write them upon the table of thine heart."

Proverbs 7:1-3

3. In order to resist the devil

In Matthew 4 (which was in today's reading), Jesus was tempted three times by the devil, and each time He quoted scripture back saying "it is written...". In the end (v. 11) the devil left Him. We too can do that, if we lay up His words in our heart through memorization. John 14:26 says: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

4. To teach our children.

"And these words,

which I command thee this day,

shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way,

and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

5. To be prepared to share the Gospel

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:

and be ready always to give an answer to

every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you

with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:15

We are commanded to put on the armour of God which includes putting on shoes of preparation to share the Gospel. Ephesians 6:15 says "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Memorization is one way to be prepared to share the Gospel.

That you may answer. Proverbs 22:20-21 says "Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?"

6. To overcome our own will

Then I said, I will not make mention of him,

nor speak any more in his name.

But his word was in mine heart

as a burning fire shut up in my bones,

and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Jeremiah 20:9

In this time of Jeremiah's life, God's word had been made a "reproach" and a "derision" daily. So Jeremiah had a bad attitude and decided that he was no longer going to speak out for God. But God's word was burning inside him, and he could not stay silent.

Here´s a good Bible Memorization Plan:

1. Choose a topic

2. Find a verse and write it on a card

3. Read the verse several times for meaning

4. Set the verse aside until tomorrow

5. Read the verse phrase by phrase, looking away from it as you begin to remember the words. Repeat several times

6. Do this for five days in a row, or until you can remember the whole verse and its "address" (reference) without a prompt

7. Use weekends to review memorized verses.

This is a part of a series of lessons on memorization.

Psalm 3:1-6

"Lord you are like a shield that keeps me safe"

Proverbs 1:10-19

"...don't even set your feet on their paths."

there are only two paths in life and we need to make sure we are going down the path that leads to eternal life. Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me."