Choosing verses to memorize or to be encouraged by today!

Just take the time to read any of the below verses. If you love Christ and His Word, I think you will understand why I chose to memorize them.

People sometimes ask how I choose verses to memorize.  Rather than giving a longer explanation here, I decided to share 16 verses that I reviewed this evening and that I’ve had in my system for more than 20 years.

Jude 24-25 is one of the most beautiful benedictions in Scripture.

24 eNow to him who is able fto keep you from stumbling and gto present you hblameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to ithe only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, jbe glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Psalm 37:3-4 both exhort us but also assure us that God will give us the desires of our heart.

3 zTrust in the Lord, and do good;

adwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.2

4   bDelight yourself in the Lord,

and he will cgive you the desires of your heart.

Revelation 3:20 is a verse I memorized while going through an evangelism program. Looking back on it, I think we may have been taking the verse out of context. Notice it’s at the end of the letters to the seven churches.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and zknock. aIf anyone hears my voice and opens the door, bI will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 cThe one who conquers, dI will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as eI also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 pHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 were recommended by Masters Seminary as verses seminary students should memorize.  I didn’t attend Masters, but I got my hands on the list and I am thankful I memorized these verses that summarize the central duty of man and why we should be motivated to do it.

10:12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him,21 to obey all his commandments,22 to love him, to serve him23 with all your mind and being,24 10:13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving25 you today for your own good?

Micah 5:2 is a key prophecy about our Lord.  See Matthew 2:6 and notice that Matthew adds that Bethlehem is by no means least!

2 3   qBut you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of rJudah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be sruler in Israel,

twhose coming forth is ufrom of old,

from ancient days.

 Romans 8:18-21 remind us that just as Creation was tainted and twisted by the rebellion of image bearers, even so will be redeemed.

8:18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared23 to the glory that will be revealed to us. 8:19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility – not willingly but because of God24 who subjected it – in hope 8:21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

John 1:1-5 are incredible!

1:1 In the beginning1 was the Word, and the Word was with God,2 and the Word was fully God.3 1:2 The Word4 was with God in the beginning. 1:3 All things were created5 by him, and apart from him not one thing was created6 that has been created.7 1:4 In him was life,8 and the life was the light of mankind.9 1:5 And the light shines on10 in the darkness,11 but12 the darkness has not mastered it.13

For more on Scripture memory see here.