Faithful Man: Devotions for Living in Faithless TimesSample

BE THE MAN WHO MEMORIZES SCRIPTURE

In the Internet Age, the need to memorize has decreased significantly. Why commit things to memory when you can find them on your smartphone? While memorizing trivial facts may be a waste of time, hiding God’s Word in our hearts is not. By memorizing scripture, we become more like the author Himself. But how do we do it? What’s the best method for memorization? According to Michael Nielson—an Australian quantum physicist, science writer, and computer programming researcher—the answer is simple: flashcards. The concept of spaced repetition—taking a break between learning sessions to better recall the information later—may not be new, but it’s still effective. On Twitter, Nielsen said, “The use of spaced repetition memory systems has changed my life over the past couple of years. Here’s a few things I’ve found helpful: I’ve memorized about nine thousand cards, over two years. The single biggest change is that memory is no longer a haphazard event, to be left to chance. Rather, I can guarantee I will remember something, with minimal effort: it makes memory a choice. “Rule of thumb: if memorizing something will likely save me five minutes in the future, into the spaced repetition system it goes.” The next time you’re sipping coffee, eating lunch, or waiting for a meeting to start, use the time to memorize scripture. The more you get into God’s Word, the more God’s Word gets into you. And the more that happens, the less you’ll be tempted to sin, because you’ll be looking at the world through God’s truth.

What verses have you already memorized? How can remembering God’s Word help you avoid sin?