Josh McDowell's Youth DevotionsSample

WORD FOR WORD. "Memorizing Bible verses is such a drag!" "Totally! It's so boring." "I know John 3:16, but that's about it." Have you ever said (or felt) anything like that? It's true, isn't it? Memorizing Scripture is hard. Only "Super Christians" do that, right? Well, now, hold on a minute. Take the following quiz and see how you do: 1. How many songs do you know all the words to? 2. Name all the main characters of your favorite TV show: 3. How many phone numbers do you know by heart? Well, duh! Those questions were easy, right? But why were they easy? Because you know all those things from memory! It's easier than you think to memorize things. You started memorizing things before you started talking. In fact, every single word you say, you've memorized! You may have memorized one or two storybooks before you even started school. So why is memorizing Bible verses so hard? It's not, really. You know your friends' phone numbers because you use them every day, right? And you know the words to songs because you sing along with them, right? Well, if you read a single verse every day for a week or two, you'll soon have it memorized. In fact, why not try "singing" today's Bible verse, making up your own melody to help you remember it? Hiding God's Word in your heart is probably easier than you think it is. It can also be fun. Most important, knowing the Bible can help you know and choose-what is right. Like the psalmist said, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11). REFLECT: How many Bible verses do you know from memory? Say them out loud. How can hiding God's Word in your heart help you not to sin? Do you think you could memorize one Bible verse a week? Why not start today? ACT: Here's an easy way to memorize today's verse: Write it in bold letters on a sheet of paper. Read it out loud once a day this week, tearing off three words at a time until you can recite the whole verse from memory. PRAY: "Lord, I want to honor your Word by hiding it in my heart. Help me to honor that commitment."