Remembering, or memorizing what you read is important. These verses and stories could be seeds planted in your heart and mind for later use. They could be set to give you comfort or to speak to another.
God will use His Holy Word to help, guide and comfort. Let Him.
This reflection comes from my book, “I knew His Voice” (available into Amazon or through the catalog link on my homepage).
“My sheep know My Voice and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life.” John 10:27-28
I don’t know when I had read those verses, I didn’t specifically memorize them nor did they stand out in my mind before that day.
My daughter was in the hospital. Jesus came to her physically and personally. He spoke to her and held her hand. She had been in tremendous pain when He came to her that night. She didn’t remember what had occurred, but I saw it and heard her words as she spoke to Him. I wasn’t blessed to see our Lord but I have no doubt He was there.
The following day, she didn’t remember the events when I asked if she remembered what had occurred. I told her that she said Jesus had come to her. She was upset that she couldn’t remember. The next day, I arrived after work. She told me she had a dream during a nap that afternoon of the night in the ER when Jesus came. She proceeded to tell me in great detail what had occurred. The things she said aligned exactly with what I had seen. Even the words she spoke to Jesus. When she finished, I asked her what Jesus looks like – first question that came to mind. She said, she never saw His face, just heard His words. I asked, “how did your know it was Jesus then?” “I knew His voice”, she replied.
BAM! These verses rushed to my memory. I say back for several minutes stunned by the memory of these simple words of Jesus. “My sheep know My Voice…I give them eternal life…no one will take them from My hand.” And, suddenly, a deep peace washed over me. I knew in all that was going on, all the fears and risk to her life, she heard and knew His voice, she was His.
Another verse that I had just heard for the first time only weeks before she was first diagnosed became my mantra over the next months of struggle. Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
I know God led my brother Bob to share that verse with me in our men’s group so it could be my armor on the tough road ahead.
Read the Bible every day. Spend time studying His Word and remember the verses that stand out. Remember the stories and parables. Even if you don’t remember exactly word for word the story of the woman who had suffered from hemorrhages or the feeding of the 5,000, remember the story.
God will set His words as a memorial within your heart and maybe, someday you will face a moment that draws the words out of the deep recesses of your mind brings them to life.