The Ultimate Love Letter

Don’t let Valentine’s Day get you down. If you are a Christian, you have the most incredible love letter in your copy of God’s Word. Any moments you choose today to spend with the Lord in His Word will pay off. I can’t tell you how He will bless you specifically, but I know He will.

Our emotions can get the better of us on days like today. God’s Word brings calm and peace, and the correct perspective. Valentine’s Day is of this world’s system. While it can be a delightful day to express our thoughts toward others, ultimately, as Christians, we live for a world yet to come, and we serve the One who loves us most. So let’s get started on reframing this day if you are struggling.
Have you sometimes memorized Scripture or you’ve thought of memorizing but have yet to?

The Bible tells us that Scripture is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path(Psalm 119:105). Joshua 1:8 says to meditate on Scripture day and night. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. Its theme is the Word of God. The Bible advocates for a Christian to interact with Scripture as a regular part of life intentionally. So to encourage you to engage God’s Holy Word and find joy in making that choice, here are a few ideas. If you have other ideas, please leave them in the comments.

Have a morning quiet time every day – Whatever plan you choose, show up faithfully to meet God in His Word each morning.

Write Scripture – Peace will come to you while you are doing this. It doesn’t matter if you have pretty handwriting. The motion and very act of taking time to write Scripture sends a message to your brain to slow down and pay attention. And the reward is being aware of the Holy Spirit in your life, the meaning of the scripture, and a calming, pervasive peace.

Listen to a Bible app while you do anything – Driving, doing chores, on your lunch break, going to sleep. You will hear things you’ve never heard before, which might lead to further scripture engagement.

Memorize one verse – If you have a morning quiet time, then you are coming across some amazing passages. Choose one and write it in a notebook. Say it, write it, as often as you can. 

Meditate on Scripture – What does this look like? Scripture writing is a meditation activity, but you can sit and read a passage. Read it aloud, read it silently, write a poem about what you’ve read, talk to God about what you read, make up a song from a passage, or just spend time in the Word.

Type out some scriptures – After this, press the read-aloud function in the review tab of your document menu- close your eyes and listen to everything you typed. 

Read a Proverb every day of the month – Then write the proverb. Then choose some to memorize.

Do word studies – Find all the words in the Bible about a topic using a study Bible. This could lead to other activities interacting with Scripture.

Record your voice reading Scripture – Send it to your children, grandchildren, or a friend.

Pray Scripture – If you need some extra help in your prayer life, add scripture. This can be praise passages, repentance passages, asking God for transformation in some area of your life, reading passages that describe God, and thanking and praising Him.

Here’s a post where I give ideas of ways to engage scripture https://valerierumfelt.com/2021/01/06/trust-and-hope/

Psalm 119:11 says, “I will hide God’s Word in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”

Memorization is an excellent discipline I do, have done, and would encourage for you. And memorization is what I believe the Psalmist is referencing. But there’s not a verse I know of that says one will have instant recall years later of any memorization. Hiding God’s Word means, by some supernatural means, the Holy Spirit is working the Word deep inside you. The Word is transforming you. David believes it will help him to sin less. His desire to please God is paramount.

I look at Scripture as medicine. It is healing, transforming, peace inducing, soaking me in truth, making my mind healthier, flushing old patterns of sin, digging up embedded lies, and softening my heart.

It is mental health, heart health, emotional health, and yes, I believe the one who is interacting with Scripture regularly has a fountain of youth that has nothing to do with wrinkles but with winsomeness, a sparkle in the eyes, and a general peaceful countenance.

Scripture is powerful, and this is backed up in Scripture in Hebrews 4:12, as Paul describes Scripture’s supernatural ability. But most of all, scripture is a treasure. It is God’s Word to us. He loves us, and we get to know the One who loves us through His Word.

Memorizing is an intentional way to get the scripture in your heart. But instant recall is not the goal. If you memorize a verse or passage and over time you can’t repeat it. Don’t be discouraged. Rejoice because the Bible tells us it is in you. It is hidden in your heart.

image by Unsplash

I’ve heard people say over the years that whatever you memorize will be there when you need it. That can be true; it has been for me in some cases. But often, I wonder why more scripture doesn’t pop into my mind in challenging moments or times. But whether it springs up or not, this I do know, it is in me. It is transforming me to be more like Christ and is doing all the functions I listed above and more. That I do believe.

Memorization seems like a spiritually profitable practice to me and one I believe will bring eternal change in your heart. Why not use this Valentine’s Day to spend some time with the Author of the Ultimate Love Letter. Let me hear from you in the comments. And Happy Valentines Day!

©Valerie Rumfelt

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