A (Supposed) Poor Memory

Growing up, I could never commit Bible verses to memory.

My excuse was that I had a poor memory.

(And yet I could very well recite the lyrics of songs I listened to.)

In reality, the truth was that I just did not spend much time reading the Bible. Whereas I spent a lot of time listening to those songs. Whether I was on my daily commute, studying, doing chores, I would have those songs on repeat.

If I had dedicated that much of my time listening to the word of God, my faith would have grown at a much faster trajectory.

The Word of God

Keeping the word of God near our hearts is repeatedly emphasised throughout the Bible, especially in the book of Proverbs. 

My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. (Prov 7:1-3)

The word of God is described as something precious that should be treasured and remembered.

Binding God’s word on our fingers is to consider His word in all that we do. And to write God’s word on our heart is to have our inner thoughts guided by His word. 

Why is it so important?

That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words. (Prov 7:5)

If we are guided by the word of God, we will be kept from falling into adultery. 

The rest of Proverbs 7 describes a youth who runs into temptation by a harlot and ultimately loses his spiritual life as he commits adultery. He is likened to “an ox [going] to the slaughter” (Prov 7:22).

But adultery is not just the physical act of having sexual relations with another person’s spouse. The Bible also describes worshiping idols and other gods to be like committing adultery against God (Jer 3:8). 

Today, the threat of falling into idol worship is even greater than before. In modern societies, idols are not just statues or gold images. But they have taken the form of celebrities, influencers, and worship of the self (in which we elevate ourselves to be the most powerful, and most important priority above all other things).

Thus we all the more need to take heed to God’s word. For when we pay more attention to His word, we can cleanse our way and ensure that we walk uprightly (Psa 119:9).

How do I keep His word close?

God’s instruction to Joshua was simple: If you keep my commandments, meditating over the laws I have given you day and night, I will be with you in all that you do and you will prosper (Josh 1:7-8).

It is the same for us today. 

Meditating over the word of God day and night will help us keep His word close to our heart. How do we do this?

I imagine my university professors, dedicated to their fields, spending their days ruminating over the research papers they read and deliberating over the data’s implications, how things link to the bigger picture, and how they can best teach this new knowledge to their students.

Similarly, meditating on the word of God is not just repeatedly chanting the bible verses in our mind throughout the day. Instead, it calls for us to reflect over what we’ve read. These are some questions we can use to guide our reflections over the word of God:

1. What is one take away from this passage that I can apply to my life today?

2. What is one verse from this passage that I should memorise?

3. Does this passage remind me of any other parts of the Bible? If yes, let me find that and read through it too and see if there are any similarities.

4. In what ways can this passage be used to edify others/myself?