The joys of memorising Scripture

The joys of memorising Scripture

In some recent meetings in Florida, I challenged people to memorise Scripture and that if they had nothing in particular that 1 John is a wonderful book.

I memorised 1 John over 20 years ago and going over the book again brings back not only the precious Words of Scripture but also things I was doing 20 years ago. Memory is amazing and I cherish the thoughts that come back from younger years. It's hard to express but there is a sweet joy that comes to you at times when you are going of Scripture and repeating. It starts to come out of you in conversations and it comes out in my preaching. it becomes like a living fire and I treasure this blessing from memorising. This morning I was going over 1 John 3 and was just struck by the simplicity of these words

1Jn 3:10-11 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (11) For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

John makes this point again and again about loving one another. Praise Father the words cut deep and I lay the threads of my soul against this word and it cuts and heals, it gently calls and convicts me to walker deeper with my Saviour.

To think of others, to be mindful of their feelings, to be sensitive to their needs, to be faithful to warn of errors in a spirit of love and not simply a desire to prove others wrong. This is the dividing of soul and spirit. To act from love and not from self, Lord Jesus give me your Spirit that I may love my brethren and they know that all my words and actions are because I love and care and not because of self interest.

Thank you for inspiring John to write his epistles. I John is being written into my heart and I trust it will spring up in the newness of life, not simply in pen and ink but in deed and in truth.