January 7, 2025 -- Philippians 1:9-11 -- Help! Memorization is so hard

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And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 ESV
 
When you begin memorizing Scripture, you’ll have to repeat it over and over again. (And then when it is memorized, review it regularly to keep it lodged in memory). This act of repetition plants Scripture deep into your heart. You’ll find yourself rehearsing it. Thinking about it. You might also, however, find yourself resisting it and fighting against memorization. Our sinful nature is strong and pushes against any increase in holiness.
 
I’ve heard people say, “I just want what I want”. Such people communicate that they are helpless, whatever it is they think they do. I know that is a crock of hooey. When the same people are in a courtroom, before the judge, suddenly their language changes, their desires change and their hope for a better outcome change. It is the fear of the judge. On a greater scale, the Day of Christ is the Day of Judgment for all the people of the earth. When He returns everyone who ever lived and whoever is then currently living will stand before the judgment throne of God. How you live now matters. Live with a reverent fear of Jesus.
 
Memorizing Scripture is one proven way to be filled with the fruit of righteousness. As you memorize, you realize the great gifts and blessings that are already yours in Jesus Christ and you choose to receive them, choose to live your life in accordance with those blessings. Jesus Who is the Judge, is also He Who became a man, lived out every command of God perfectly so that by His righteousness we are called righteous. This is granted to those who believe. Guarded in the heart of those who leave wicked ways and choose to walk in step with the Holy Spirit.
 
I have set before my Sunday Chapel group the challenge of memorizing Philippians. I know how hard this is. If you are discouraged by your poor memorization skills, if you have stopped, start again, let me encourage you to pick up from wherever it is you left off. Begin from that point and start memorizing again. Put one or two verses on a recipe card. Carry them with you. When you eat, review the texts. When you wait in line at the drive-through, review them. You will find the more you practice, the greater will be your capacity to learn the Word. Even if you memorize one or two verses a week, you are far ahead of what you’ve been doing before. Okay, go on, get memorizing.
 
Father in heaven, with the Psalmist we declare “^Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You”. By Your Spirit Who lives in us, help us to memorize the Word, to be directed by the Word and to have it change our thought patterns. As the Word reveals wicked attitudes, thought patterns, and actions, we humbly ask You to remove these and plant in us all that which is consistent with our confession of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Mighty Father, for the gift of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Amen.
^Psalm 119:11
 
https://youtu.be/PNww8F6G9U8?si=5wW22X4h2voPQ9y7 Make My Life a Prayer to You
 

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