Hear, O Israel:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you
today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when
you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you
rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your
forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
- Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Lindsey and I have a rule when we’re driving
Andrew around: Mommy and Daddy get to pick the music. We’d heard too many
horror stories of parents whose kids ruled the radio with tiny iron fists,
parents who spent their commutes listening to nothing but “The Wheels on the
Bus,” “Old McDonald,” and “Down by the Bay” every day. We resolved not to start
down that slippery slope, and established early on that the radio was the
adults’ domain.
But sometimes you’ve got to make an exception,
and this past weekend on the long drive to Port Aransas was just such a time.
As we drove further and further south, it became apparent that, despite being
exhausted, Andrew was going to keep himself awake by talking nonstop. Our every
effort to quiet him down and get him to close his eyes was futile—he just kept
jabbering on and on until Lindsey and I were about as worn out as he was.
That’s when Lindsey had an idea. My mom had
recently introduced a new kids song to Andrew—"Leather-Winged Bat" by Peter, Paul,
and Mary—and she had noticed that whenever it played, Andrew would
sit contentedly and, more importantly, quietly until the song ended. What if,
Lindsey suggested, we took a page out of my mom’s book and played the song on a
loop until Andrew fell asleep? Rule or no rule, we decided to give it a shot.
After the sixth time through or so, I looked behind us and saw that Andrew was
down for the count. Just to play it safe, we listened three more times—after
all, if any song had earned a repeat performance, it was that one!
Some things are worthy of repetition—not for
the sake of a nap, but so we can learn anew and progress forward. There’s a
reason math teachers don’t just give their students one problem to solve every
day, just as there’s a reason basketball players don’t stop practicing after
they make one shot. It’s by repeating the same action again and again that
things really start to sink in.
That’s why since the days of Moses, God has
called His people to not only remember His words, but to repeat them. God’s
commands, encouragements, rebukes, and revelations are not things we should
take lightly, they are part and parcel of His will for our lives, worthy of
committing not only to our memories but our souls.
Scripture memory often seems like spiritual
extra credit, the kind of thing that’s great for pastors and Sunday School
teachers, but unnecessary for everybody else. The truth is that God’s Word is
important for all of us, not just those who teach it, and it is worthy of
repeating until it sinks into your heart, soul, mind, and actions. Read what
God has to say—and then read it again. It bears repeating.
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