How Much Do You Know?
A woman went into her kitchen to find a burglar loaded down with stuff he was stealing from her kitchen. Not having any kind of weapon to scare him off, she raised her hand and said, “Acts 2:38,” and proceeded to quote scripture. The burglar froze in place and did not move. The woman called 911; the police arrived and were amazed to find the burglar still frozen where he stood. “What did you say to him that kept him from moving?” they asked the woman. She told them that she had simply said Acts 2:38 and quoted scripture. The police chuckled and escorted the burglar out to the patrol car. “Why did the woman’s quoting Scripture scare you so much?” they asked. “Scripture?” said the burglar. “I thought she said she had an ax and two 38’s!”
We laugh at that joke, but we also know there is power in the Word! “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6).
God likens His Word, in Jeremiah 23:2, to a fire and a hammer. His Word is so powerful, He says, “It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and succeed in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). God’s Word is so strong, in fact, it is the only offensive weapon He has given to us – the “Sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus used Scripture to overcome temptation – and so can we – if we know the Scripture!
But how much of His Word do we know? Why is that important? When we need His Word, we often do not have our Bible with us, nor would we have time to find that particular Scripture. Recently, I heard a state university BSU director stress the importance of students knowing the Word to enable them to stand firm against the liberalism and, often, mockery of their professors. How much Scripture do we know?
What if the only Scripture you had available was what you had memorized – what you had “hidden in your heart” (Psalm 119:105)? Some prisoners of war have testified the Scripture they had memorized literally kept them alive. Christians in other countries are often tortured if they are found with copies of Scripture, so they commit it to memory. As our religious freedoms continue to erode, we may see the day when we will not be allowed to have a Bible. Even now, there are places where we cannot display Scripture, so, we must not think that it could not happen. That is what we thought about prayer in school. Now, prayer is banned, not only from schools, but also from most public assemblies. I personally feel an urgency to “Hide His Word in my heart” and am committing to memorize at least one Scripture per week. Will you join me?