Traffic in the DC area is still pretty bad due to Snowpocalypse. While driving in today I decided to listen to an old Piper sermon. In the message I listened to Piper was talking about teaching his two month old daughter scripture memorization. Prior to listening to this I had not thought about when to teach Miya Scripture verses, but Piper makes a good point about the sooner the better.
Talitha is now two. She is beginning to learn Bible verses by heart. She is also learning the forms of prayer. Why? Why go to the trouble of taking time and effort to repeat over and over the Bible to her? Very simple – when she is a teenager I want her to be godly and pure and holy and loving and humble and kind and submissive and wise. And the Bible says, as plain as day, this comes by treasuring up the Word of God in your heart. “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.”
Jesus put it like this in his great prayer for us in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” “Sanctify” is a Biblical word for making a person holy or godly or loving or pure or virtuous or spiritually wise. And these things I want for myself and for my children and for you. So what then should we do this year? If we are sanctified by the truth, and the Word of God is truth, what should we do?
If a doctor says, “You’re very sick and may die of your sickness, but if you will take this medicine, you will get well and live,” and you neglect to take the medicine – too busy, the pills are big and hard to swallow, just forgetful – you are going to stay sick and you may die. That’s the way it is with sin and spiritual immaturity. If you neglect what God tells you will sanctify you and make you mature and strong and holy, then you will not be mature and strong and holy. Reading, and meditating on and memorizing and cherishing the Word of God is God’s appointed way of overcoming sin and becoming a strong, godly, mature, loving, wise person.
via Open My Eyes That I May See :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library.
Bought by the Blood 