Today in 1906 Dawson Trotman was born. He was in the navy during WWII and founded The Navigators, a discipleship group that emphasizes Scripture memorization, or as Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You." (Cool Public Domain picture of the U.S.S. Constitution ain't it?!!)Back when I got saved in August, 1980 I decided to memorize Scripture in order to break my pipe smoking habit that I could no longer afford since my eating addiction...something Mom got me started on at a very young age...took precedence over smoking. My natural Conspiracy Theorist tendencies also caused me to think I'd better know the Bible as best as I could so that I'd have it at hand when "They" took away all our Bibles here in the USofA as has happened in so many other countries worldwide down through the centuries. Let me illustrate how having Scripture memorized can be a benefit.
Early on, I memorized "Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools" from Ecclesiastes 7:9 one morning. That afternoon when a fellow employee wanted to buy some roofing shingles and bad mouthed me about the cost, I was about to tell him where he could stick the shingles when the Spirit "brought to remembrance...[what] He had taught me" (John14:26). I metaphysically bit my tongue and suggested another source for the shingles. (I wonder if Raymond ever came to the saving knowledge of the Lord as a result of my prayers to that effect...Acts 26:18...and God's Providence?)
Then there are the numerous times I'd like to turn the air blue with imprecations when my anger rises, but fortunately Ephesians 4:29 cuts me off, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry, yet do not sin..." also slams the breaks on some indulgence in the verbal world.
My last illustration is for you worry-warts. Psalm 121 asks from where can you Christians expect your help...from "He Who keeps Israel and neither slumbers nor sleeps." I figure if God's gonna be up all night taking care of my business, I might as well get a good night's sleep!! That way I can seek His kingdom early in the day while he's providing for all my needs and I don't have to worry about tomorrow because it will take care of itself. (Mt. 6:33, 34)
They will be taking away our Bibles someday soon, I think.
Got passages down pat?
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