During the spring of 2010, my prayer journal is full of quotes like this one, “Heavenly Father, I am crying out to You to renew my first love. I have knowledge of You but I want Your presence, Your glory, Your love to penetrate my heart and my every thought. Draw me close to you, Lord God, I am so needy of You and I miss You!” I obviously was in a season of not being fulfilled in my walk with Him.
In June of that year, my husband and I went to his favorite mountain fishing stream and since I don’t fish, I brought my bible, journal and iPod. On this day, I happened to turn my iPod to a Nancy Leigh DeMoss podcast of Revive our Hearts. Janet Pope was her guest and she was talking about her own scripture memory journey and I listened to all 3 days of podcasts and soaked it in. I was brought to tears with a comment Janet made, “It’s not that you lack discipline, it’s that you are not hungry for God’s word.” Oh, that was exactly what I needed to hear! I was crying out to God for this love relationship with Him but I wasn’t delving into His word to get to know Him. That very day I started memorizing my first chapter, Romans 8.
God answered all of my heartfelt prayers and began the process of fulfilling my deepest need – to know Him and to know He knows me! I pray that the hunger His Holy Spirit has given me for His word will never be satisfied.
I have memorized Philippians, Romans and several Psalms. I confess I also had the book of 1 John memorized but lost it for lack of a continual rehearsing. I am currently memorizing the glorious book of Revelation. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear and who keep the words written in it for the time is near.” (Rev. 1)
I am blessed indeed!
And I am blessed by reading your post, Sue.
Thank you so much for sharing, and God bless you!
Maureen
and you just blessed me in return, Maureen. Thank you!
Hi Sue, I’m so thrilled to learn that you are taking on the book of Revelation. It took me 2 1/2 years to complete, and it definitely was a blessing. This morning I reviewed Revelation 21-22 and I was reminded that even to the very end God is still sending out the invitation – COME! A picture of our gracious God. Press on to know and love him more.
Oh Janet, thank you for the encouragement to press on! And for your words those years ago that the Lord used to penetrate my heart to know Him and love Him more through His word. May the Lord bless you deeply for your obedience to Him in encouraging so many people to memorize.
I do not have the words to describe just how much I am loving the word of the revelation of Jesus Christ! I am finishing up Chapter 2 and Christ has revealed Himself to me in ways and knowledge that is indescribable. I am blown away by the depth of His love and wisdom and judgement and compassion. SO excited for the days ahead, however many that will be, as I continue memorizing Revelation!
Wow, ironically I was listening to that very same broadcast in 2010 and that is when I began my memorization journey. It’s encouraging to know that the Lord reaches us in so many different ways. It blew my mind that Janet memorized Revelation and now you’ve started…I’m thinking about it. Thank you for your story today 🙂
You heard the same broadcast, Carmen? How cool is that!!! Not only are we sisters in Christ, I feel a special kinship to you since we were convicted to start our memorizing journey in the same way. My experience with the book of Revelation really has been amazing and if the Lord leads you there, I believe He will have gifts abounding for you too.
What have you been memorizing these last few years?
Isn’t it amazing how The Holy Spirit leads us to memorize certain books at certain times. Sue, I loved your story. It’s so different from mine yet with the same end result. Knowing and loving God more. Revelation is on my list, but I am now encouraged to begin it sooner than I had planned. Thank you Sue. P.S. last night I heard a praise song I hadn’t heard for 25 years. Yet when the “music started” I knew every word. They just kind of tumbled out of my mouth as the song continued, and I’d completely forgotten that song even existed. Just an encouragement about 1 John. You never know. It might be easier than you think once you decided to work on it again. Love you sister!
Cherie, you make me smile! Thank you for your concern about my forgetting 1 John. I’m sure you are right, that if I start it again, it will come back pretty easily. And maybe someday I will do that. I know that even if I haven’t retained those verses, the months spent soaking in God’s word and meditating over and over on the verses on love and truth and light have not been wasted. All glory to Jesus Christ! Love you too, sister!
Sue, I just had an overwhelming moment reading your story as I realized how God’s hand is on us and how he divinely connects us together. Janet was at our home in Colorado teaching an annual retreat when one of the girls said she just didn’t have the discipline to memorize scripture and Janet responded that it was a matter of not being hungry. She inspired us all at the retreat with that response and, later, she used that same story during her interview with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. You heard that interview and were inspired and now you are writing about that same experience on this blog which, I can see from the comments, is now inspiring lots of others! How cool is that? God can take a single thread and weave it in and out of so many lives, connecting us together in incredibly inspiring ways! Keep memorizing and sharing your story and encouraging others!
Oh, Amen, Sister! I thank God for our divine connection!
God is the God of all, including our inspiration and our connections. And God is the God of our memory too – even that belongs To Him and is created FOR Him.
Thank you so much for sharing this story with me. God bless you, Richie, you are a beautiful encouragement to my heart.