Passion for Memorizing God's Word
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not
sin against you. - Psalms 119:11
Noted Bible teacher E. Schuyler English told about a Bible distributor, Michael Billester,
who visited a small town in Poland shortly before Word War II. Billester gave a Bible to a villager, who was converted
after reading it. The new believer then passed the book on to others. This
cycle of conversions and sharing of faith continued until 200 people had become
believers through that one Bible!
When Billester returned to
Poland in 1940, this group of Christians met together for a worship service
where he was to preach the Word of God. It was usually his custom to ask for
testimonies, but this time Billester suggested that
several in the congregation stand and recite verses of Scripture.
One man stood and said, "Perhaps we have
misunderstood your request. Do you mean verses or chapters?"
These Polish villagers had not memorized a few
select verses of the Bible, but instead whole chapters and books. Thirteen
people knew Matthew, Luke, and half of Genesis. And another person had
committed the entire book of Psalms to memory. That single copy of the Bible
given by Billester to the one new believer had
certainly done its work.
In this story, transformed lives bore witness to the
power of the Word of God. Are you passionate about learning and memorizing
God's Word? Are you sharing what you know with those who do not know
Jesus? 1 John 2:5 says, "But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is
truly made complete in him." Determine today to hide the Word of God in
your heart and pass along its truth to those you come in contact with each day.
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to open your heart to His Word so that you can hold
tightly to its truth. Pray that He would give you opportunities to share the
Bible with others.