Vine and Branches

A few weeks ago, Waylon preached a POC message on the importance of not only studying Scripture, but memorizing it. Before hearing that message, I always viewed Scripture memorization as a legalistic that Christians should do just because it's "good."

Waylon, however, put it into perspective for me. The Word of God is the only offensive weapon we have to use against the enemy. If you read Ephesians 6, the metaphor used for the Word is the "Sword of the Spirit." Having been in the midst of a lot of spiritual warfare lately, Ephesians 6 is becoming more alive to me. We really are in a battle, and who goes into a battle without a weapon? Without having the Word of God embedded in our minds, we are like sitting ducks in the middle of a battlefield. We will be utterly destroyed because we are helpless against the enemy.

So in response to Waylon's message, I have embarked on memorizing the entire book of John. It's a slow process (I'm still in chapter 1), but it has been amazing. As I'm memorizing it, I'm also taking the time to meditate on it and study it.

Have you ever taken the time to read the first chapter of John? I don't mean just read through it. I mean really read it. Have you ever tried to understand it? I used to just skip over that part because it was so wordy and hard to grasp. Now, however, I think it's one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. It's beautifully written, and it's jam-packed full of cool stuff about Jesus. Check it out...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.

--John 1:1-3

The "Word" that John is referring to is Jesus (cf. John 1:14). These first three verses are filled with awesomeness! Sometimes I forget that, before He "became flesh and made His dwelling among us" (John 1:14), He was in eternal communion with the Father and Spirit, and He was present at the creation of the universe. Not only that, but before the universe was even created, He already knew that He was going to become human and die (1 Peter 1:20). That is amazing!

Praise Jesus for His love for us. He loves us so much that He died for us so that we would have "the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). JESUS IS AWESOME! Amen!

So I encourage all of my brothers and sisters out there to take Scripture seriously. It is your only weapon against the devil. Learn it. Practice it. Wield it.