Every once in a while we come across a book that is convicting, challenging, obviously correct in its every claim, and yet will probably have no measurable impact on my day-to-day life. Neil Postman’s Amusing ourselves to death was one such book for me. Now Andrew Davis’s How to Memorize Scripture for Life: From one verse to entire books may very well be another.
Look, I know I should be memorizing God’s Word. It’s a clear command. It’s good for me. It’s good for the family and the church, my workplace, my friends, strangers on the street. There is no downside to doing so. And to be fair, I am working on getting to know God’s Word better (and at times that does involve memorization). And yet, if I’m honest with myself about myself, I struggle to picture committing entire books of the Bible to heart, despite the very clear and correct arguments Davis makes.
And let me be clear, this book is useful. Davis’s methods are obviously effective (I’m not an actor, but I’d be surprised if this isn’t how stage actors memorize their scripts), and certainly the challenge he has laid out is one that should strike all of us Christians to heart. Memorizing God’s Word should be on our to-do list, and whole books of the Bible should certainly be a goal for us. How to Memorize Scripture for Life is an excellent little book that is easy to read and provides helpful guidance along the way. Don’t let my own failings stand in the way of your being blessed by this book.
I’ll stop with one quibble, lest my review be longer than the book. The quibble is this: Davis suggests that we start our memorization with a short book, like Ephesians. And I get that Ephesians is shorter than, say, Acts or Psalms. But seriously, start with 3 John.
Otherwise, highly recommended.
Dr. Coyle Neal is co-host of the City of Man Podcast an Amazon Associate (which is linked in this blog), and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO
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