The old Sunday school song tells us, “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow.” Though there is truth in these words, it is just the start. If we truly want our kids to “grow, grow, grow” in their faith, the words of Scripture need to be hidden in their hearts. Moses understood this as he prepared the people of Israel to enter the Promise Land without him.
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your foreheads as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
Every day we send our kids into a world that can be confusing and filled with different ideals and temptations. We try our best to protect them. We want to put a shield around them, to guard their hearts and minds. But the time will come when they are faced with circumstances where the decisions they make will be their own.
As parents we need to prepare our children for how to respond in a Christlike way when faced with temptation or difficult decisions. What did Jesus do? He quoted Scripture.
“But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” (Matthew 4:4)
With smart phones filled with easy access to Bible dictionaries and quick reference searching, Bible memory can seem as old fashioned as that Sunday school song, but the reality is that it’s more important than ever. Here are a few more reasons why we should have our kids, and ourselves too, hide God’s Word in our hearts.
1. Deep roots. For a tree to flourish and grow it needs to have deep roots to stay strong when storms come. This is true for our spiritual growth as well. By memorizing Scripture, God’s words are planted in our memory and grow deep and strong. They become a natural part of our thinking and responding.
2. Future battles. We don’t know what the future holds or what battles or struggles our children will one day face. What we do know is that in this world there will be trouble, but having Scripture hidden in our kids’ hearts can help them face whatever life throws at them.
3. More like Jesus. Not only does memorizing Scripture allow us to act more like Christ in the face of temptation, it also allows us to hear His voice and His words as we go through each day. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37). If we want our kids to be fully immersed in loving God, they need His words in their hearts and coursing through their thoughts.
4. Others. Jesus went on to say, “A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39). When Christ’s words are our words they help us to better relate to others and to put others above ourselves. They remind us of Christ’s sacrifice for us and how we, too, should put others above ourselves.
5. Bonus: Peace of Mind . As parents we will never be able to keep our children from being hurt or facing difficult circumstances, but if w
e have helped them to hide God’s Word in their hearts we can have peace of mind that they are facing life with the best protection. God is with them every step of the way.
The Hidden in My Heart Scripture Memory Bible was created to encourage kids not only to read God’s Word but also to hide it deep within their hearts.
One hundred of the Bible’s core verses have been set to music by renowned children’s author and song writer Stephen Elkins. The 100 songs include a variety of genres and are available in the New Living Translation, New International Version, and King James Version, and all songs are free with the purchase of the Bible. Additional interactive features encourage school-age kids to engage with the Word in every place of their life.
Learn more about the Bible features and download free memorization resources HERE.
Purchase Hidden in My Heart HERE .