In all honesty I’m terrible at scripture memorization.  Every year I commit to some sort of memory project; every year I fail to finish the commitment.   Yet I believe wholeheartedly that God’s word is our armor in a fallen world and shows us the amazing grace and hope we have in Jesus!

This year, Ann Voskamp’s memory project is Scripture Memorization for the Rest of Us: The Jesus Project.  The words of Jesus from the Gospel of John.  Ann has an absolute amazing way with words and uses them to encourage others.  Check out Ann’s link with all of the details of her memory project with free downloads and tips about effective bible verse memorization.  You can set different goals for yourself; memorize 12 verses for the year, one per month or double or triple that goal.  My goal is to memorize at least 24 verses throughout 2014.  Two verses a month…. how hard can that be?

In my bible time this morning I focused on John Chapter 1.  My first memory verse is John 1:1 but I meditated on verses 1 through 18.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

God’s word is TRUTH and without Him nothing was made.  His light shines in the darkness.   In a very dark world verse 5 gives me much peace and hope.  I don’t have to be the light; I just need to let Jesus shine through me!

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word became flesh…. JESUS became flesh and lived among us.  Can you imagine being in his presence as he walked on this earth?

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

I long to touch Jesus; to curl up at His feet and to be in His glory.

Will you memorize John 1:1 with me?  1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.