reading the bible... for good reason

Do you actually read the Bible? What about memorize it? What about internalize it?

I have to admit that though I read it pretty much daily and journal through parts of it, I rarely take time to memorize it. I think I'm missing out. A mentor of mine memorizes scripture weekly! Paul, a friend of mine at church, also memorizes scripture alone and with his wife. My Dad, who walked with Jesus for 60 years, told me scripture found its way into an internal inventory for him. When he needed it, somehow it was right there!!

I got this email today from Bill Hybels (no not personally, just on a mass list, HA). It was a great reminder about how essential the scriptures are for my life - every part of it.

Shortly after I became a Christ follower an older man challenged me to find key verses in the Bible that might speak to specific situations that I would find myself in through the course of a normal day. After identifying those critical verses and linking them to the challenges that may come my way, I decided to memorize the verses so that I could have them at my command. Here was my early list:

When I needed wisdom to make an important decision....James 1:5, Proverbs 3:5-6.
When I was tempted to do wrong...1 Corinthians 10:13.
When I was running out of strength...Philippians 4;13
When I was getting anxious...Philippians 4:6-7
When I was getting short tempered...Ephesians 4: 32
When someone hurt or betrayed me and I wanted revenge...Romans 12:17
When I needed courage to point wandering friends toward faith in Christ...Colossians 4:2
When I wanted to live for eternity and not just for the temporal offerings of this world...Colossians 3:1

This is merely a partial list of Biblical weapons that I pack with me everyday. Though I do not use all of them everyday, I use all of them enough that they stay fresh in my mind. I honestly don't know how I could make it through the rough patches that come my way without the fortification these truths offer me. Are you packing too?