SSeveral weeks ago, five year old Levi returned home from our church’s children’s club with a stack of twenty yellow card stock cards with line drawing pictures on the front as memory aids and Scripture verses with references printed on the back. In few short weeks, could Levi, faced only with a line drawing, recite each of the 20 Scriptures cards, including the references, word perfect, in continuous sequence, with no verbal prompts?
We practiced those verses…over and over and over again. As forks scraped plates, as pajamas got pulled down over heads, as seatbelts got buckled, we memorized, starting at the first card: “Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword…” While he rode high in the buddy seat of the tractor, out cultivating spring fields, Levi hollered above the drone of the tractor, into Darryl’s cocked ear: “Ps. 90:2 Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” While rolling play dough, Levi sang, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him… 1 Kings what, Mom?” Yes, by function of Levi’s memorization, the verses had become mine too. And everyone else’s in the family. In the midst of a parental discussion with an older brother, Levi chirped in with “Proverbs 29:1 “He who is often reproved and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed.” Elder brother’s forced smile of appreciation towards Levi was notably strained.
Tension mounted as days of faithful recitation still resulted in Levi erroneously quoting “If my people that are called by my name will humble theirselves and pray” instead of “If my people WHO are called by My name will humble THEMSELVES and pray…” The older children would hold their breath as Levi tried again…and when he incorrectly said “theirselves” for what seemed like the gazillionth time, they couldn’t refrain from dissolving into groans. “It ‘s “humble THEMSELVES”, Levi! Okay, let’s try again, Levi!” Would mercy be granted to a five year old with a lisp and gratingly incorrect grammar—yet who more than compensated for any misquotes with an abundance of passion and expression?
Tonight, the stack of yellow verse cards sit on the counter, dog-eared and dirty…and one little boy lies in bed, changed.
For Levi threw open the door tonight to announce, “I SAID ALL 20 VERSES TONIGHT, MOM, WORD PERFECT!”
And this time I was the one who dissolved…into tears. Little Levi had done it: He had made God’s Word his LIFE.
Deuteronomy 32:47 “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.”
Lord,how can I make Your living word my LIFE today?
