Sticky Scripture: A Super Fun Way to Hide God’s Word In Your Heart

In a previous post, I wrote about truths I wanted my sons to know before they left home. If I could add one more truth, it would be this:

Follow the practice of the psalmist in Psalm 119:11. He makes this bold statement in his song to God.

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

There are innumerable benefits to keeping the words of the One who loves us most in our hearts. Like remembering key verses when we are tempted to do something that is not in line with our character. Or seeking comfort in his words when we are in the midst of a tragedy. Knowing God’s word also helps us know his character. It helps us not just know about God, but it helps us truly know God.

 

 

As a young child, I attended Sunday School on a regular basis. Each week, we were required to memorize a Bible verse and recite it to our teacher the next week, all for a highly coveted, simple gold star. I was not too drawn to the task by the gold star, but I certainly was an all-out pleaser, so I never wanted to disappoint my teacher by not memorizing my verse. Of course, there were many weeks that I hastily practiced my verse on the ten-minute drive to the church building. Nonetheless, I usually got my gold star.

As I became an adult, I began to realize the importance of knowing those scriptures deep within my mind. When I became a mom, I wanted my kids to begin to internalize Scripture as well. I was thrilled when I heard about Steve Green’s Hide ‘Em In Your Heart music. Those songs became our favorite go-to music from a very early age. Music is incredibly powerful.  I’m sure I could sing all the songs even now. (By the way, my favorite song on the CD is Without Complaining!)

I have the privilege of teaching 11 and 12-year-olds at school. Our curriculum includes Bible classes, so, of course, memorizing scripture is an important part of what I teach. We use games like Sparkle and different types of music to help them memorize. I also require the students to write the scripture at least one time during the week. 

There is just something important about writing words down if you want to remember them or understand them more deeply. The Bible even backs that up. Check out Deuteronomy 17:18. Moses is giving the people instructions on when they get to the promised land. He is telling them what should happen when they select a king to rule over them. Here’s what it says.

“When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees.”

Wow! This king is not allowed to let his scribes write his copy of the Scripture. He has to write it with his own royal hands. Then, he is to read it every day so that he may learn to respect God and follow the law carefully.

I don’t know about you, but if this technique for learning is beneficial for the leader of a nation, I’m pretty sure it would help me as well.

Whether you are interested in making Scripture stick in your own life or helping those you lead in hiding God’s word in their heart, take a look at some great ways to get started on this super fun endeavor.

Use lots of color!

It is proven that using color to highlight text or pictures is helpful in learning and remembering information. When I have practiced this method of making Scripture stick, I have used Staedtler Pencils and Pigma Pens in varying colors and tip widths. Of course, you can use any pens or pencils that you have on hand. The point is to make your scripture study colorful and fun!

Choose your paper size and type.

I have been using graph paper for my sticky scripture pages. That is because I am more of a left-brained thinker than a right-brained creator. I take comfort in the subtle blue lines on the paper to help me line things up. But you may be more comfortable with the clean slate of a blank page.

You may want to write in a journal or you may need something much bigger. I found some super sized sticky notes that I plan to use with my students at school this year. But for me, I enjoy a smaller, less intimidating piece of paper.

Write the verse and its address on your paper first.

When you have chosen the verse you want to delve into and memorize, write where you can find it in Scripture and then write it out word for word. Start looking for key words that you may have questions about or that you want to emphasize on your page.

Branch off from your main text. Explain or emphasize your key words and phrases with your own ideas or questions.

When you begin to go deeper into the Scripture, it helps you not only understand it better. It begins to stick in your memory. If you have a question about something in the scripture, jot it down on your page. Then go try to find the answer and add it to your page. If there is a tricky word, go look it up and add the meaning to your page.

Add pictures or doodles.

This step frightens me the most. As you can see from my sticky scripture pages at the bottom of the post, I don’t draw many pictures. Partly because I do not have much confidence in my artistic abilities. But I’m working on that. But also because words communicate more to me. I try to add at least a few doodles to keep my attention on the page. But if pictures help you more, start drawing. I have seen some beautiful Bible journaling that is mostly art with a few words. The important thing is that the Scripture that you choose becomes sticky. Our goal is for God’s word to be in your heart and the hearts of your followers.

 

The psalmist was wise when he decided to hide God’s word in his heart. No doubt, the kings of Israel would have done a better job had they heeded Moses’ advice of writing God’s law. Too bad they did not have all the fun tools we have on hand today!

So, here’s the challenge. Grab some paper, pens, markers, pencils. Pick a verse that you love or one that makes you think. And get started. Remember, we are not going for perfection. We simply want to make Scripture more sticky.

When you have finished, post a picture in the comments so we can all enjoy your work.

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.

Colossians 3:15