Pastor Robert Hammond, Long Hill Baptist Church
I pray that many have taken-up the challenge to begin reading through the entire King James Bible this year. If you haven't already started, why not begin in Genesis 1:1 today? Remember, reading just three and one-half chapters each day will allow you to read the entire Bible in one year. Spouses may find it especially helpful to read the Bible aloud together. My wife and I have recently started this practice; I find it to be a great help and encouragement.
Now, permit me to also encourage you to be memorizing scripture this year. In Psalms 119:11, the psalmist writes, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Here, we observe that committing the word of God to memory is a great aide to our growth. Permit me to encourage you to take up the challenge to memorize at least one verse each week this year.
There's a number of good approaches to memorizing scripture.
If you are new to memorizing scripture, it will be extremely helpful to begin memorizing individual verses (and short passages) that deal with a variety of doctrines. Here's a link to download a list of 53 verses / short passages: https://db.tt/Sp89EVQj.
Tools that can help. As a tool to help you memorize each verse, consider using index cards to create flash cards (with the reference on one side and the verse on the opposite side). I've also created "digital flashcards" that may be used online to help memorize the same 53 verses & short passages. See the online flashcards at http://quizlet.com/_k0zjh
If you have already memorized many verses, consider taking-up the challenge to memorize complete chapters and even entire books of the Bible. In recent memory, a number of our teens memorized the first chapter of James. While this may seem like a daunting task, we have the Holy Spirit to help us!
The important thing is to have a plan and to be in the habit of memorizing scripture. Also, consider asking someone to partner with you to quiz you and to keep you accountable each week. A final note: As you pray for the Lord's help to take up this important challenge, also pray that the LORD will protect us from pride that can come with success!
Lord, please grow us in 2014 -- to thy glory!