Changed Forever

We all say we can’t learn scripture. It’s just too hard, it takes too long, and we get discouraged. My question is how can we learn anything else we know? Phone numbers, sport statistics, recipes, and songs? How many have sat down with a song list and tried to learn all of their favorites? Or have tried to learn every statistical fact about their favorite sports teams? Find people who have been in the church for a long period of time and ask them if they sat down with the hymnal to learn all of the words to the great hymns. I’m pretty sure they would say they have not. Well, how do they know the words to so many of the glorious life changing hymns? It’s called repetition. When we learn scriptures it is not like we will sit down and “cram” like we were studying for a final exam. When students memorize material just for a test, that knowledge does not stay with them very long. Why? First of all, they are doing it out of necessity for a temporal purpose, to get a good grade. Secondly, the material did not make an impact on their lives. Thirdly, after the test they did not return to the subject matter. What is the best way to learn scripture so it becomes part of your life? Let me use this illustration. Over the years I have enjoyed jogging. Okay, maybe not totally enjoyed it, but I knew the necessity of it to keep my weight down, to be healthier, and stay in my existing wardrobe. As I jogged, I would listen to fast beat, up tempo secular music to keep me going. I told myself that although it was secular music I was only listening for the up tempo beat and to keep me at the right jogging pace. I had no desire to learn the words of the music. As a matter of fact, I wished there were no words to the music. However, as I continued to run listening to the secular music, the words began to permeate my mind. I began to notice that I would start saying the words and singing the words as I jogged. Then the words came into my thoughts during the day. I realized that even though I did not set out to learn these songs (was even dead set against learning the words), I in actuality learned the songs and they were entering my thoughts throughout the day. If a situation happened during the day my first thoughts to respond came from these secular songs! I should be seeking answers from the Word of God! So whatever you feed your spirit the most is what will be a part of your daily living. Feed your mind these scriptures daily, not because you want to memorize them but because you will be Changed Forever! Read these scriptures, study them, make a CD of you reading theses scriptures daily, and you will do two things! You will learn the scriptures so well you will begin to quote them, know them inside and out, and they will become a part of you. Secondly, when the scriptures become a part of you, quote them to your selfish man, quote them to Satan in times of temptation, quote them for encouragement and victory, and your life will be CHANGED FOREVER! Unlike any secular knowledge that may benefit you, the Word of God will be as fresh as air is to our lungs, as water is to our bodies and food to a starving man! At this time you may still doubt whether you can learn the scriptures adequately enough to be able to witness, minister to those hurting, or for self-preservation. I know you can! Let me tell you about a special man that I had the privilege of meeting and knowing on a personal level. His name was Rev. J.G. Hall, and he was a professor of mine in college. Not only was he a professor, he was an author, preacher, evangelist, dispensationalist, and a great man of God. Not only did I learn the Word of God under his leadership but I learned what it meant to be a true man of God. Rev. Hall was a very quiet, humble man. Yet when in the pulpit he spoke the Word of God with authority, never turning from the spiritual truths that needed to be taught, and always preaching repentance, grace, and sanctification. I had the pleasure of sitting in many of his services but I was especially blessed when he came to a church where I was an associate pastor. He stayed in my home and we talked about the things of God for what seemed like an eternity. I forgot to mention the most amazing, unbelievable part of his ministry — Rev. Hall had learned the entire Bible word for word, forward and backward! As he taught in his services people would ask him questions and he would begin to quote the scripture by memory. No matter what book, verse, or testament, he could start and not stop until he proved the authority of God’s Word on the subject. As Rev. Hall and I were sitting in my living room late one evening, I asked him how he was able to memorize the entire Bible, cover to cover. His answer changed my life and challenged me even until this very day. He stated, “What else is there?” This is the life-giving, life-changing Word of the Almighty God, and He gave it to us as a beacon in a dark world. I did not set out to memorize the Word of God; I set out to learn it, to meditate upon it, to digest it and to cradle it in the very depths of my soul. I hunger for the Word of God just as I do any other life sustaining element of my life. Air, water, food, the Word of God—they all are needed to survive and to live. Only the Word of God gives everlasting life and is not as temporal as the other items mentioned. Wow! Rev. Hall went on to say, “I know it and can quote it because I have stayed in the Word of God every day. I long for it and know that no matter how many times I read it and digest it, God uses it to change my life and continues the work He has started in me.” So if a man can learn the entire Bible from reading it, studying it and living it, then surely you and I can learn and live at least 100 verses in our lives on a daily basis. You may be thinking why should I learn and memorize scripture when I can go to my computer or other books and just look up what I need at that moment? What if we carried this train of thought to other areas of our lives? Why learn to drive a car when you can just look at the driver instructional manual when you need it? Why learn First Aid when you can just carry the manual and pull it out if you come across someone unconscious or not breathing? I could go on but I’m sure you understand my point. We need the Word of God in our hearts, minds, and souls so we can act immediately when life throws us a curveball. Because our mind controls our thoughts and our actions, we must rely on the Word of God to give us the directions of life at any moment. We must hide the Word of God in our lives so that we do not sin against God. (“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” Psalm 119:11.) God has given us His anointed, life-giving Holy Word so that we may learn it, love it, and live it in Jesus’ name!