Someone remarked to my wife recently, "Cory is truly happy, isn't he." They could just see that as I go about my business there is a sense of peace and joy about me. Believe me, that is probably not my normal mode of existence. I'm not a bubbly, overly happy person on the outside. But if there is a bit of that shinging through, I atribute it to the time spent with God in prayer and memorizing of Scripture. This is the foundation for everything else I do. This is how I get fueled up for the day.
It is so inspiring to think about how Jesus prioritized that intimate time with God every day, no doubt irritating his disciples and the crowds as He withdrew during moments of great opportunity. He also carved out time when others were sleeping. In short, He made sure to fill up with God time before facing the intense work load and temptations and trials of each day that was His ministry. Shoudn't I do the same?
But as I sit here and think about it, I know that deep within me is a large and growing reservoir of joy. Mixed with that is perseverence, peace, intense resolve, a little bit of patience (always need more of that), and a connectedness to Christ that is worth all the money in the world. I thank God for putting me on this path and giving me a chance to know Him a little bit in this life. Of course we will know Him perfectly in Heaven (I Cor. 13:12), but it is nice to get a little bit of that divine intimacy here and now. Kind of like opening one present on Christmas eve.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Taking Stock of My Progress
Every once in awhile when you are memorizing Scripture, you stop and take a look around and see how God has changed you through the whole process. I did that the other day. I realized I was waking up again each morning with that deep yearning to know God through his Word. Just like it used to be in years gone by, if I haven't spent much time in the Bible by noon, I am an emotional wreck. Then at night I find myself lying in bed, doing some final review, meditation, and prayer. There have even been a few of those sweet times in the middle of the night when I wake up, the house is quiet and dark, and I find somewhere to sit and meet with God.
It has truly been great. I am still managing the tension of the Synoptic Gospel issue. I think that is going to be an ongoing problem (or opportunity, see previous post) for years to come. However, I'm not letting it get me discouraged. I am choosing to press on and can realistically say that my goal of finishing the NT by my 35th birthday (April 28th, 2012) is attainable, Lord willing. How amazing would that be?
Of course you have to fall on your knees in humility before God and simply say, "Thank you, Lord...thank you." Sometimes I ask God why He has chosen me for this amazing blessing. Why should I get all the treasure when so many have none?
"Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." (Luke 8:18b)
It has truly been great. I am still managing the tension of the Synoptic Gospel issue. I think that is going to be an ongoing problem (or opportunity, see previous post) for years to come. However, I'm not letting it get me discouraged. I am choosing to press on and can realistically say that my goal of finishing the NT by my 35th birthday (April 28th, 2012) is attainable, Lord willing. How amazing would that be?
Of course you have to fall on your knees in humility before God and simply say, "Thank you, Lord...thank you." Sometimes I ask God why He has chosen me for this amazing blessing. Why should I get all the treasure when so many have none?
"Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." (Luke 8:18b)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Trials Precede Blessings
This is a key lesson in memorizing Scripture (and all of life, really):
Trials precede blessings.
For example, the more difficulty you have in memorizing a verse in the first place, the longer it will stick with you. Right now I am dealing with the incredible difficulty of memorizing multiple Gospels, especially the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). These books contain many sections that are very similar, which makes keeping multiple versions in your head very, very difficult. Years ago I memorized Mark, but when I memorized Luke I had to let Mark go. Now I am re-learning Mark and having the same problem with Luke. This time, however, I am determined to keep both, because...
Trials precede blessings.
I figure if I can put in the hard work (and I mean HARD WORK) to sort out all of the different versions of the same parables, there will be an incredible blessing waiting there. I will know those stories extremely well, and God must have some purpose for keeping the multiple versions. Lord help me when it comes time to memorize Matthew! Then I will have three, and sometimes four, versions in my head of the same stories. Ahhh!
I can do everything through Him who Him who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:13)
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:27)
For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)
Trials precede blessings.
For example, the more difficulty you have in memorizing a verse in the first place, the longer it will stick with you. Right now I am dealing with the incredible difficulty of memorizing multiple Gospels, especially the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). These books contain many sections that are very similar, which makes keeping multiple versions in your head very, very difficult. Years ago I memorized Mark, but when I memorized Luke I had to let Mark go. Now I am re-learning Mark and having the same problem with Luke. This time, however, I am determined to keep both, because...
Trials precede blessings.
I figure if I can put in the hard work (and I mean HARD WORK) to sort out all of the different versions of the same parables, there will be an incredible blessing waiting there. I will know those stories extremely well, and God must have some purpose for keeping the multiple versions. Lord help me when it comes time to memorize Matthew! Then I will have three, and sometimes four, versions in my head of the same stories. Ahhh!
I can do everything through Him who Him who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:13)
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:27)
For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)
Friday, July 1, 2011
Welcome!
I've decided to start this new blog largely as a personal journal for my Bible memorizing efforts. The last two months have been very fruitful in this area of my life. God has reinvigorated my passion to know Him through the Word. When I was 25 I set the goal of memorizing the New Testament by the time I was 30. At age 29 I was on pace to make it, or at least very close to the pace. However, at that time I hit a major wall. I was also attending seminary and working, and we were expecting our third child under age 4! So over the next five years or so it was all I could do to just review and remember the 24 books I had learned. But by God's grace I didn't lose anything during that period and have recently resumed my forward advance.
Right now I am drawing near to the end of the Gospel of Mark. Then I will have 25 books finished. After that I will jump into Acts, and then finally the Gospel of Matthew, finishing up the 27 books of the NT right around my 35th birthday (April 28, 2012), hopefully. That is the current goal, anyway. After that I dream of tackling Psalms and Proverbs. From there, who knows? For the first time in my life I have actually allowed myself to consider the possibility that I could, if given the time and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, memorize the entire Bible. What a strange and blessed and overwhelming calling! Of course it is not the memorizing itself that is difficult. It is the constant review to insure that nothing is forgotten. But that is also where the blessing awaits.
I chose the title "Swallowing the Sword of the Spirit" for several reasons. At first I thought the image was a little too disturbing. Swallowing a sword is painful and hard to watch. However, I think in some way that is a fitting image. There is a certain amount of pain you must endure to memorize Scripture. There is pain in sacrificing other parts of life in order to dedicate the required time and energy. There is sometimes physical and mental pain in the level of concentration required. Most importantly, however, there is the spiritual pain of being broken and reformed by the Holy Spirit as the Word invades one's spirit and makes changes from the inside out.
Heb 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
And of course the phrase "Sword of the Spirit" comes from the famous passage in Ephesians about spiritual armor:
Eph. 6:17- "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
It really doesn't matter if anyone ever reads this blog, though if it can be a helpful resource for those travelling the same path, so be it. If that describes you, my God bless you as you undertake this painful calling. Please let me know how it is going. We can encourage each other along the way!
Remember His Words!
-Cory
Right now I am drawing near to the end of the Gospel of Mark. Then I will have 25 books finished. After that I will jump into Acts, and then finally the Gospel of Matthew, finishing up the 27 books of the NT right around my 35th birthday (April 28, 2012), hopefully. That is the current goal, anyway. After that I dream of tackling Psalms and Proverbs. From there, who knows? For the first time in my life I have actually allowed myself to consider the possibility that I could, if given the time and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, memorize the entire Bible. What a strange and blessed and overwhelming calling! Of course it is not the memorizing itself that is difficult. It is the constant review to insure that nothing is forgotten. But that is also where the blessing awaits.
I chose the title "Swallowing the Sword of the Spirit" for several reasons. At first I thought the image was a little too disturbing. Swallowing a sword is painful and hard to watch. However, I think in some way that is a fitting image. There is a certain amount of pain you must endure to memorize Scripture. There is pain in sacrificing other parts of life in order to dedicate the required time and energy. There is sometimes physical and mental pain in the level of concentration required. Most importantly, however, there is the spiritual pain of being broken and reformed by the Holy Spirit as the Word invades one's spirit and makes changes from the inside out.
Heb 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
And of course the phrase "Sword of the Spirit" comes from the famous passage in Ephesians about spiritual armor:
Eph. 6:17- "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
It really doesn't matter if anyone ever reads this blog, though if it can be a helpful resource for those travelling the same path, so be it. If that describes you, my God bless you as you undertake this painful calling. Please let me know how it is going. We can encourage each other along the way!
Remember His Words!
-Cory
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