That was it:
just quoting the entire book of 1 Corinthians. After all, it takes about an
hour. And it’s God-breathed Scripture, so what else need he add?
Naselli
quoted it well. It was more of an emphatic dramalogue than a dry recitation. We
were drawn into the power of the message. It was long, but it was awe-inspiring.
As we left
the church and headed to our vehicle, I said to my kids, “I think I’m going to
memorize a book of the Bible.” They perked up, intrigued.
“Jude,” I
said.
“Mom!” they
responded, making faces at me.
(For those
of you who don’t know, the entire book of Jude is 25 verses.)
I was
teasing my kids, but the idea stuck with me. After all, I firmly believe in memorizing
Scripture. In fact, the spiritual discipline has been a consistent part of my
life since I was 18.
Historically,
I have had better success with memorizing shorter passages than long ones
(though I have memorized chapters before), but I also believe in keeping things
fresh by trying new challenges.
I thought
and prayed about the idea for several weeks and then decided to go for it. I would
memorize the book of Jude. Who knows, I wondered, perhaps it would inspire me
to try a longer book eventually.
I am taking
it slowly and steadily: two verses per week. I am on verse 10. Because my
memory is not as sharp as it once was (I’m thankful I memorized lots of
Scripture when I was younger, because those verses are a firm part of me now),
I have to meditate on it regularly in order to make it stick. But that, my
friend, is the greatest benefit of this exercise.
Though I
have read Jude many times through the years, I cannot recall having studied it
intently. By committing it to memory, I am learning it quite well. In fact, the
first two verses alone thrilled me:
Jude, a servant of
Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved
in God the Father and kept
for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace,
and love be multiplied to you.
Perhaps it’s
only a greeting, but look at what that first verse tells us about ourselves: we
are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept
for Jesus Christ! These truths merit deep reflection and inspire joy.
Verse 2
provides a beautiful blessing I have shared frequently since memorizing it.
What a blessing indeed to pass on our desire that mercy, peace and love be multiplied to someone we care about.
As Jude
progresses, it addresses false teachings and illustrates a contrast
between the error of heresy and the truth of Jesus Christ. This is very
relevant to our culture today and has provided me much food for thought and
motivation for prayer.
So I may be
memorizing the fifth-shortest book of the Bible (http://overviewbible.com/the-5-shortest-books-of-the-bible-in-order/),
but the truths of this oft-overlooked book are becoming part of me in a way I
would have missed if I continued my pattern of briefly reading it and moving on
to Revelation.
So, what do
you think? What will you memorize next?
*https://www.hopeingod.org/sermon/1-corinthians
