A convicting and helpful guest post from my friend, Jan Lacher:
I have been incredibly inspired this week as I have listened to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. The subject over the past three days has been memorizing Scripture.
Usually, every morning, as I give Michael his medications and tube feeding, Revive Our Hearts blares across the radios in my home. I typically listen to the program as I move from one room to another, going about my work getting Michael ready for the day. The featured guest this week has been a seasoned saint, Nancy Epperson.
On Wednesday, the discussion between Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Nancy Epperson peaked my interest, and I found myself nodding as they talked about all of the benefits of memorizing God’s Word. As a side note, I have memorized some of our fighter verses over these past years. I have had to learn them and relearn them. I have taught my “normal” children fighter verses; although, I would argue that I did not teach them enough Scripture. As Revive Our Hearts played, I contemplated how there has not been anything that I have done that has been more beneficial than memorizing the Word of God.
My mind was swirling as I pondered the question that if memorizing parts of the Bible are so beneficial, why don’t I do more of it? Why am I not memorizing full chapters and possibly books? I certainly know the benefits and have experienced them. Since Michael’s birth, I have been like a rock skipping across the lake as I have learned some verses and then having periods where I do not. For a variety of reasons, I have not been as consistent these past several years as I would like to be. I sighed at the thought of the work that it would take to regain the momentum to do such a task as memorize verses and eventually chapters.
My attention was refocused on the program. The two Nancys continued their discussion. Then Nancy Epperson said something that stopped me dead in the middle of Michael’s feeding. A segment from the January 6th transcript speaks for itself:
Nancy Leigh DeMoss: Now, don’t go too fast past that because there are a lot of people who will say, “I can’t memorize Scripture.”
Nancy Epperson: They will say that, but can I tell you something? That is not true. It’s true people say it, but it truly is a lie hatched in the pit of hell that Satan loves us to think. The fact is, everybody can.
Now, listen. I’ll never forget this. About 35 years ago, I was at a church in Winston, Salem. They had a group of young adults who were very mentally deficient. They could barely articulate. They were severely retarded, severely. They got up in this church—I will never forget it as long as I live—they quoted verse after verse after verse with the reference—verse after verse.
I’m telling you, I knew exactly, exactly why they could do that, because some precious, dear saint had spent hundreds of hours with them. Those precious, severely retarded young adults just quoted and quoted and quoted. It was just such a blessing.
I realized then anybody honestly can quote Scripture if you’ll go over it enough times. Stop and think about it. Think of all the things you know from memory.
When I heard the story above, my heart jumped. Michael falls into the severely to profoundly mentally retarded category. Plus, he is nonverbal. We have no way of knowing what he understands and how he processes information. We try to teach him simple commands that would aide in his care such as “lean forward” when bathing his back. And through the shear repetition of that command and through physical prompting, he has learned to do so. But, I must admit, I have not contemplated teaching him Bible verses. Who knows what he could glean from the repetition of Scripture being spoken to him when he rises up and when he lies down? Also who knows how the Holy Spirit could use it to strengthen and under-gird him in all of his difficulties?
After listening to this program, I have come away with a renewed vision and a resolve to make Scripture verses part of Michael’s life. He may never be able to quote the references and verses, but God’s Word does not return void. I am determined to get my hardhat on my head and do the heavy “work” of imparting Scripture to our sweet Fox.
The Works of God 
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17 ESV
This morning I read this passage to a young man with profound cognitive disabilities. As soon as I finished reading it to him he looked up at me with the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face in the four years that I have been working with him. It was a truly touching moment. I walked away from that interaction not knowing if “I” made a difference … however I knew without a doubt that God’s Word made an impression on him. The mystery of God’s Word is complex and simple all at the same time. No on really knows what the Holy Spirit can do when God’s Word is delivered to others… especially those that are not able to respond in the type of communication that we are used to in society. If we knew what type of a difference we were making each time we spoke God’s Word we would be eager for a pat on the back each time it made a positive difference in the hearer’s life. So instead of wondering if “we” are making a difference … just focus on delivering God’s Word to others in a consistent and intentional basis … and leave the results up to Him! Do this especially with those that are cognitively disabled! Who are we to say that they cannot understand. Using their lack of understanding as an excuse keeps from them an opportunity to hear the words of the very God that created them. Speaking God’s Word to the cognitively disabled also demonstrates the true display of Proverbs-style friendship “a brother loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity”.
This is tremendous, and tremendously convicting. Thank you.
Wow! That was so encouraging! May the Lord help me to do the same with my precious Christian.
We have taken more of a stance on Bible memorization in the past 2 years. I appreciate BB for this very reason as well. However, I have been in churches with “normal” children with no problems whatsoever and its really sad. I have heard childcare workers or Children’s ministry workers say (can’t make this up): “These kids are too little to learn about Jesus or quote scriptures” and then the schedule is playing with toys and watching Veggie Tales. But you know what? When I went to a church like this, my 1 1/2 year old was repeating songs off of the VeggieTales. So why can’t he learn scripture? It makes me really agitated about it now because I see how those years were wasted at least at church. If a kid with major disabilities can memorize scripture, I think a “normal” 1 1/2 year old can memorize it! After we left that church and started attending BB, my son was in nursery and we got a CD of Bible verses and he learned 4 verses in one week! There is no reason why average children can’t learn and there is no reason why a disabled child can’t learn either. This is good news!
Hi All,
I and my girls (one autistic and one neurotypical) have benefitted GREATLY from the Sing the Word CDs. They are passages of scripture put to music and sang by a talented family of musicians from Florida. When set to music, we’ve been able to memorize lots of verses without effort. http://www.singtheword.com.
Jan, thank you for sharing this. It is a beautiful picture to think of God speaking directly to the soul through his Word. I’m going to share this with our family – we are, again, asking the Lord to give us a deep love for his Word and recommit ourselves to putting scripture reading and memory in a central place in our lives.
And how much is He glorified in your hearing and memorizing the Word as you serve your child(ren) or class at church! May we all have a heart for hiding it in our hearts.
I am in tears! Thank you, Jan, for humbly sharing with us how the Holy Spirit has convicted and also inspired you in regard to scripture memorization. He has been working on my heart as well. I’ve been thinking about what JP preached last Sunday, “This is the word of GOD!!” He has spoken! Do I care to read what He has spoken to me??
God bless your new tack – memorizing WITH Michael!
[…] 28, 2010 by John Knight Thank you to Jan Lacher for pointing me to Dr. Al Mohler’s blog for […]
[…] August 22, 2010 by John Knight First posted on January 9, 2010: […]
Amen!