A mind for the word

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:11

What made the apostles of Jesus Christ so powerful in their ministry and so effective in their witness? I believe we find one of the keys in Acts 17:1-2: "They came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures."

The Bible was absolutely indispensable to Paul's witness for Christ. Now, think with me for a moment. Before you can quote the Bible, what must you do? You must memorize it. If you take the time to discipline yourself to memorize the Word, when the opportunity arises you can quote Scripture and help others understand the gospel.

Among the early apostles, memorizing the Old Testament Scriptures was a standard practice. They knew the Word of God, and when the opportunity arose for witness, they were ready. Remember Peter's great opportunity on the day of Pentecost? There he was, out in the middle of the street with no Bible, no sermon notes--nothing but a heart filled with the Word of God. And he began his sermon by quoting from memory the Old Testament prophet Joel (2:28-32). God used Peter's preaching to bring three thousand souls into the kingdom.

I see a great need today for us to return to this apostolic practice of memorizing the Word of God. I challenge you to get on your knees before God and ask Him to give you a hunger and a thirst for His Word. Then get started in the vital practice of memorizing key portions of the Bible as you prepare your mind and heart to speak to others about Christ.

Prayer

Lord, create in me a hunger and thirst for Your Word, and I will share it with others. Amen.

To Ponder

When we commit Scripture to memory, we're committing to the transformation of our minds.