Birthdays have always been special days in my life. My family made a big deal of them when I was a child, and I’ve kept that tradition with my family as well. Breakfast in bed has been a fun tradition. Special meal, cake and gifts are a part of the day as well!
It’s a great day to celebrate, but for me it’s also a great day to reflect on the past and make some good goals for the future. I probably do this more on my birthday than on New Year’s Day.
This past weekend as I celebrated another birthday, I connected my goals for the next year with what the Lord has been saying to me in my Bible reading. In
II Chronicles, I had read about Josiah uncovering the Books of the Law and lamenting that the Word had not been obeyed. He loved God’s Word and longed to follow it because He loved the Lord and sought after him.
I was convicted that my life doesn’t always show my love for the Scripture. Oh, I read it every day and it changes me, but I realized that I have gotten very lazy with Scripture memory. If I really loved it, wouldn’t I be pouring it into my heart? I read about a group of people who had been saved and their lives were radically changed. They loved God’s Word so much that it wasn’t unusual for them to memorize the entire New Testament! Do I love God’s Word so much that I want large doses of it in my mind, or am I satisfied with status quo? I was convicted and challenged!
So on my birthday, I asked the Lord to give me a greater hunger for His Word. I began that day to memorize Colossians 3. Three days later, I’ve gotten through verse 3! My goal is to memorize one verse a day, which means in 25 days, I’ll be finished with the chapter! This has been my pattern in the past, and I’m asking the Lord to help me stick with this and memorize this precious passage of His Word.
Another goal I have is to memorize Psalm 63 this year. This is the psalm for my age and there are only 11 verses! Listen to verse 8 ~
My soul followeth hard after thee; thy right hand upholdeth me.
How good is that?! I long for my soul to follow hard after the Lord this year! What a precious remembrance that His right hand upholds me! Whatever comes to my life, He holds me!
I’ll keep you updated about my Scripture memory progress as the month passes. How about you? Are you memorizing Scripture? What method do you have to hide God’s Word in your heart? Though we have so many means to have the Bible at our fingertips, we can’t always get to it. What if you’re sick? What if your phone is separated from you? We need it in our hearts!
Refresh your love for the Scrirptures!
RefreshHer 
Scripture memorization has always been harder for me. I start then drop off. Good reminder!
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I hope I’ve nudged you to try again. =)
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I have been feeling the same leading from the Lord to memorize more Scripture, especially as blocks or passages. I have so many verses or partial chapters here and there memorized and I really want to take on more whole chapters or Psalms. I do have a challenge that I am curious if you have the same. I am the same age as you, and most of what I have memorized I memorized in the KJV throughout my life. Now, when reading ESV and other good modern versions that I use for my Bible reading time, I find myself getting mixed up on passages that I have previously memorized. I don’t know whether to stick to memorizing KJV or try to memorize the ESV even though it “messes with my mind” – do you know what I mean? Thanks for your inspiration!
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I get exactly what you’re talking about, Kathi! I am in the very same boat! I get teased because I stick with my King James translation, but it’s for the same reason you mentioned. It would be too hard to learn passages I’m so familiar with in another translation. So…I read and get the understanding of hard passages (evil concupiscence!?!) from the ESV, but I memorize it from the KJV. Review is key, too.
I’m so happy you’re working on passages. It gives such a good understanding of the passage in its context. God bless you as you hide His Word in your heart!
Thanks for your good question!
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Thank you so much. It’s so helpful and encouraging to know that you understand! I am going to stick with memorizing from the KJV because it’s just easier to memorize that which I am already so familiar with rather than re-learning passages in another translation. I will definitely review what I have memorized too. I feel better and more ready to take this on just having that settled! Thanks again!
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Happy belated birthday to you and your twin sister!! 💕 When I was growing up I always wished I’d had a twin. 😊
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Thank you! Having a twin was a special blessing!!
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