“Memory Verses”


BIBLE READING: Psalm 96-102

                One of the things I miss the most about growing up in the church and Sunday School in the 1970’s and 1980’s are the memory verses.  I am sure I wasn’t very happy about it at the time, but as I grew older, I appreciated the fact that my Bible class teachers required that of me all those years ago.  I am sure that during my younger years I was trained to know verses like John 3.16 and Genesis 1.1, but my most vivid memory that I have of memory verse work came with Psalm 100.  “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalms 100:1-5).   These short five verses (from the King James Version of course…we are talking about the 1970’s)contain a wealth of information that teach us so much about God and the importance of us praising Him, concepts like: serving the Lord with gladness, understanding our relationship to Him as well as His relationship to us, the importance of thanksgiving and praise and the gift of His mercy and Truth.  These are the types of truths that I will forever carry with me even beyond the grave, all due to those wonderful Sunday School teachers I had so many years ago.  They made it their goal to not just teach me the Word of God but impress it upon my heart so that I will always be able to call it to mind.  It reminds me of another one of those memory verses, “Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119.11).  If you don’t already know it, spend this week in making sure you know Psalm 100 by heart.  I guarantee you will be blessed because you did.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              MH
                 

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