Vacation Bible School has been going on at different churches in our town the last few weeks. Some of my fondest childhood memories of summertime were from Bible school.
“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross.” We started Bible school every day with that song, the pledge to the US flag, and the pledge to the Christian flag. We memorized Bible verses such as “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105 King James Version.
We watched a Bible story on flannelgraph, a technique where the teacher placed cut-out figures on a flannel bulletin board as she told the Bible story. We drank red Koolaid and ate cookies, made by the Kinder Cookie Factory, located next door to Luginbuel’s Funeral home. Simple games like tag and red rover burned energy so we could sit quietly during our lessons.
What joy it was to stand on the stage with all my friends to sing our songs and quote our Bible verses to our parents and the church family.
I loved to memorize Bible verses. “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalms 119:11. How do you hide God’s word in your heart? The simple way is like we did as children, by repeating it over and over. As an adult, I don’t do that. It doesn’t work for me anymore, although many people memorize that way.
I memorize by studying the scripture. I take it apart, study the sentence like we did in English class, sometimes even diagram it. I look up each word in the Strong’s Concordance, and study the shades of meanings. I compare the different versions of that scripture and write it out in my own words.
“I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life.” Psalms 119:93.
The Word of God I have learned has become part of me, hidden in my heart, stuck in my memory, as I live out the Word of God in my everyday life.