Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Memory Verses" for Friday, 12 September 2014 - Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Memory Verses" for Friday, 12 September 2014 - Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17 But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
The psalmist wrote, “Your laws are righteous forever. Help me understand so I can live!”(Psalm 119:144 (CEB))
While considering a school for one of my children, I visited a Christian school near my home. I walked into a second-grade classroom to observe, and the children excitedly stood together to sing a song and recite two Bible verses they had recently learned. I enjoyed this very much, and I clapped for them and shook their hands to let them know how much I enjoyed being there. When I turned to leave, one little girl walked me to the door and asked me, “Do you have any memory verses?”I hesitated. I did have one--just one. I felt she probably knew it as well, so I asked her to say it with me. She most happily obliged.
As I drove home, I found myself wishing for two things: One, I wished I had memorized more verses from the Bible. Many of us think of memorization as difficult and unnecessary, but “hiding God’s word in our hearts” (see Ps. 119:11) is one of the most rewarding things we can ever do. Two, I wished for a day when all of us would ask each other, “Do you have any memory verses?” and then sit down and share what we have committed to memory from God’s word — not out of duty, but out of love for God’s gift to us, the Bible.
The Author: Karin Hust (California)
Thought for the Day: What Bible verse has sustained me?
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for giving us the power to think and to learn. Teach us your word, and help us to be ready to share your truth in any circumstance. Amen.
Prayer focus: Elementary-school children
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