Cedarville Magazine, Summer 2021

BIBLE MEMORIZATION BY J EREMY KIMBLE Memorizing the Bible has changed my life. Seriously. The best way I have found that I can apply Psalm 1:1–3 and delightfully meditate o n Go d ’ s Wo r d day and night is by memorizing Scripture. Whether a verse, a whole chapter, or an entire book, memorization is a way to hide God’s Word in our hearts, so that we do not sin against Him (Ps. 119:11). Several years ago, I was at a conference, and the preacher began his session by quoting the entire book of Philippians. This was such a powerful moment and had a profound impact on me. I had memorized many verses, and even some chapters of the Bible prior to that time, but it was then that I determined I would memorize longer sections of Scripture. So, I began with Philippians a few years back and since then have memorized 1 Peter, Jude, and Titus. Such a habit renews your mind (Rom. 12:1–2), helps you see the flow of the text, assists you in killing sin, and grants you the ability to minister in an effective and powerful way (Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16–17). It is worthwhile. I have found two strategies that help me memorize Scripture. First, I print off the text I want to memorize, put it in a big Ziploc bag, and clothespin it to my shower curtain. That may sound strange, but it is a way to use that time for memorizing Scripture. Second, as I walk to work each day I say what I know, reviewing the passage as I walk. Make memorization a part of your daily routine. Start by memorizing one verse and then add related verses or other Scripture from the same chapter, read the passage often, study the book that contains the passage, review regularly, and say it aloud to yourself and others. Memorizing God’s Word is a profoundly powerful habit that leads to a deeper knowledge of God and provides a way to make Him known to others. Jeremy Kimble is Associate Professor of Theology and Director of the Center for Biblical Integration. He earned his Ph.D. in Theological Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This prayer acknowledges that right reading of the Bible cannot (and should not) be done apart from the work of the triune God, and it puts me in the proper posture before Holy Scripture as I seek to engage it in total dependence upon the Lord to grant me the right understanding of the meaning of the biblical text. This is done to prompt me to a faithful response and obedience to God's Word as I walk "in Christ" in godly discipleship. TRENT ROGERS Dean, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek I have a personal quiet time in the morning and also a time of family worship in the evenings. My personal quiet time involves Bible study and prayer. I typically have a text of Scripture that I am studying more closely while also having a reading plan that covers more material. I have a prayer journal, and I also pray through my church directory. SCOTT DIXON ’84 Associate Professor of Bible More than any “how to” tip, one foundational lesson on the purpose and role of the spiritual disciplines has proved life- changing for me. In the book, Formed for the Glory of God about the spiritual practices of Jonathan Edwards, Kyle Strobel warns us of “the great temptation and danger to turn Christian spiritual disciplines into a self-help project” (p. 70). Edwards would describe the practices of Bible reading and prayer (among others) as “means of grace” that orient our hearts and minds properly to God. Powerless in themselves to change us or make us holy, God uses these means to reveal the beauty of his beloved Son. Joy and delight replace drudgery and a checklist mentality as the Spirit enables us to sing with the old songwriter: Our pleasure and our duty, Though opposite before, Since we have seen his beauty, Are joined apart no more. (John Newton) RENEWING 24 | Cedarville Magazine