Learning and Living God's Word

 I meet a lot of Christians who do not know the Word of God. They say they just can't remember it. Then, there are others who know even the smallest things God has inspired for us to learn. I don't believe it is just a difference in their memory capacities. I believe we have to do certain things to make sure the Bible becomes an integral part of our lives. That is one reason I write this blog. I want people to see how they can learn and grow on their own, as well as by reading others.

God knows us, as humans, so He knows how we learn. That is why He gave some very specific instructions for the men who would become kings of His people. (Deuteronomy 17:18-19) The king must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all of the terms of these instructions and decrees. What an amazing illustration of how to learn for all of us.

I believe that many of the people who do not know the Word are only listening to it being read and others teach it. It is a proven fact that we forget about 80% of the things we only hear. However, if we hear something, and we see it written down, most people remember closer to 50% after a few days. If we take it one step farther, and we write down notes or the write the passages for ourselves, we remember much more of it for a long time. Finally, if we read the Bible over and over again every day of our lives, we will definitely learn it.

Then, once we learn the Bible, we must do what God told the kings of Israel to do. We must obey it. We must make it a part of our everyday lives. That repetition of reading and doing makes the Bible a permanent part of our lives and God will bless us for it. That is why I encourage us to read 3 chapters a day and 5 for Sunday, so we read the Bible through in a year. After 10 or more years of doing this and even taking notes, the things we read really start sticking in our minds. It is never too late to start either.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Deuteronomy 18-22.