I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
GOD’S LOVE LETTER
You know how when you fall in love with someone you want to talk to the ALL the time? Every text they send you is cherished because you want to get to know them in a deeper way. These texts are like little love letters. Well, the Bible is God’s love letter to us. We love Jesus and so it makes sense that we would seek to know Him deeply. And the best way to do that is to learn about everything He said and did before He ascended into heaven.
And if you have been married a while (like I have), you can understand how easy it is to grow apart. Life gets hectic and making time for one another gets more challenging. However, if you want a good relationship, it’s important to connect every day. My husband and I do little things to stay connected such as regularly going on dates, talking about our days, holding hands and praying together every evening. Everyone connects a little differently in relationships, but the important thing is making room for each other on a daily basis. This is even more important in our relationship with Jesus because He is our Lord and Savior and guides us in all things.
SCRIPTURE TEACHES US
The Word of God reveals the difference between right and wrong. It explains how Christians are set apart and how to live rightly. It prevents deception and brings us closer to the Lord.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Not only does the Word of God teach us, it helps us to teach our children, grandchildren, friends and family as well. The more we know about the Lord, the more we can shine His light!
THE WORD IS A WEAPON
The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) and we are to use it in our daily battles since we live in a fallen world. It is a sword that can cut through the noise and lies of society. When the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he tried to use scripture against God.
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Matthew 4:5-6
The devil tried to twist the Word (in this case Psalm 91) and use it against Jesus. Personally, I find the devil’s tactic kind of funny because it’s so absurd! But maybe Jesus put up with the devil’s foolishness to teach us something VERY important. You see, Jesus said in His defense ‘it is written’ and then He would say God’s Word to correct the twisting. He was able to do that because He knew the Word! And we need to know it too, really well. So let’s learn to fight like Jesus.
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:7
Whenever we see the Word of God being twisted, we are also to correct it with the proper teaching. Understanding this defense tactic is helpful in trials and tribulations because we can use the Word to gain strength when we are struggling, doubting or weary. But we must first know where to start!
SCRIPTURE CARDS (FREE PRINTABLE)
Is scripture the first thing you think of when facing hardships? If so, you are waaaaay ahead of most of us. Many of us struggle to stay above water when the tide of life comes in. Consequently, learning to use scripture in daily life battles is often a learned tactic, as it does not come naturally. I understand now that the strongest warriors for Christ know their scriptures, so we must memorize as much scripture as we can because this is our weapon of defense. One helpful way to keep scripture in our hearts is to always have it in front of us. Scripture cards are a great tool.
It is also helpful to use scripture cards in your prayers. Such as – God You said I can come to you when I am weary and burdened and You will give me rest. I ask for your rest and peace Lord (using Matthew 11:28). You can apply scripture to your own situation and ask for God to move in a mighty way.
The Strongest Warriors for Christ Know Their Scriptures!
LISTENING TO THE BIBLE INCREASES FAITH
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17.
Sometimes we may not understand why certain things happen or the way God operates. But trying to understand Him through learning the gospels and studying scripture, shows our devotion to Him and simultaneously increases our faith. So listen to the scriptures whenever you can. I like to use a Bible App such as YouVersion.
IT’S AS IMPORTANT AS FOOD
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
The Word is our spiritual food, as Jesus said when He was in the wilderness. We must feast on the Word every day because it helps us stay close to God in this crazy world. Our Spirit longs for God’s Word but our flesh wars against it. This is why we must battle against our natural desire to put off reading our Bibles. Many Christians say they don’t have time to read the Bible, that it’s boring or it’s hard to understand it. But when we create holy habits we can fight against the temptation to keep the Bible closed.
God’s heart is for us to be close to Him through His Word, prayer and worship. Jesus loves us so much and He desires a close relationship. We live in such a busy, distracting world now that we MUST put holy habits in place to keep a healthy relationship with the Lord.
MAKE IT A ROUTINE
A couple of options to create holy habits is setting a time or times aside each day where you commit to learn scripture. It does not have to be legalistic or unpleasant. I like the idea of morning, noon and night because it’s constantly before me. However, if your schedule doesn’t allow it or if you are just starting out, maybe just every morning or every evening is a better option. When my children were small, I chose a habit of listening to the Bible when I was getting ready for bed every night. Do what works best for you. It can be to read a chapter in your Bible, memorizing a scripture, listening to your Bible App etc. But create the habit that works and stick to it.
MEMORIZATION TIPS (FREE PRINTABLE)
Memorize scripture like Jesus did. He did not have to pull out a scroll in Matthew 4 to battle in the wilderness. So let’s be like Him!
One way to keep scripture in front of you is to create index cards with your favorite scripture. If you aren’t sure where to start, try a few of these: Psalm 91, Psalm 119:11, Ephesians 6, John 10:10. Or write down your favorite(s) psalm, proverb or a family scripture.
Personally, I like to write out the scripture by hand because it helps my brain remember it. Also, it becomes more personal when you do a little research, such as when the scripture was written. Try looking at different versions of scripture (such as NIV, ESV, KJV, NASB) and research the original Hebrew or Greek words used.
MEDITATION
Meditating on scripture means you are intentionally reflecting and seeking to understand God’s Word. Storing up the Word in our heart is helpful in our battles, but also in our overall walk with God. Mediate on certain scriptures by reading it, praying about it, asking God to reveal deeper meaning and/or talking to a mentor about it. Keep a certain scripture on your mind for a certain amount of time to develop a better understanding of it.
PSALM 100 MEDITATION EXERCISE (FREE PRINTABLE)
Here is a handy little worksheet to practice meditating on scripture. If you click on any of the images in this blog post, you can get the FREE printables. You will see the entirety of Psalm 100 written out, as well as your cheat sheet. Then you can use the fill-in-the-blank to help with memorization and meditation.
Proactively using scripture on a daily basis is life-changing and strengthening. Create your daily holy habits today! May God bless you in your journey.
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