Every Tuesday, we get our verse of the week to meditate and memorize. I want to encourage you to keep trying to focus on just one verse for the week. If you stay determined, the Word will take root in your heart. If you have failed with some of the previous verses, don’t get discouraged and quit, but continue to press on. This spiritual discipline is worth pressing through our failure! So free yourself of guilt and let’s go!
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
When I first heard this verse through my children’s Upward cheerleading program at church, I thought these teachers were out of their minds if they thought that children could learn this tongue twisting verse. Plus what elementary school student could understand what it meant? But they provided a CD with the memorization verses to music and since I was on a quest to be “Supermom,” I played it for them. Eventually the tune stuck in my head and began to make sense of the song. When I understand what it meant, this verse became alive and precious to me.
As believers and followers of Jesus, we are called to fix our eyes not on what our human eyes alone can see. We are not to gaze on the momentary, temporary circumstances of our lives. What we see is temporary. The seen is only for a season of our lives. How many of us get caught into the temporary trappings of this life and forsake our birthright to live the full victorious Christian life with God? Our eyes get caught but the many choices so readily visible in front of us that beckon us. It takes great discernment and discipline to break free from the charm of what we can see.
However, we are to fix our eyes on what we cannot see. We have a high calling of faith. How many times in our lives are we going to be in a situation where we can say, “Lord, I can’t see what You are doing. I can’t see my way through these circumstances.” These are the biggest moments of our lives when we have to know that even though we can’t see how it will end well, we can’t see any kingdom fruit, we can’t see how this will benefit anyone, we can’t see any purpose – we have to know that even though we can’t see into the spiritual realms that our God has it all under control.
Let’s take this next week to mediate on this exhortation to us. If we do what this verse tells us, then I pray God will open our eyes to the world around us and the spiritual realm. May heaven look different because you and I lived this verse out. Carry this verse with you wherever you go this week – be it an index card or in your heart. Study it, pulverize it, and memorize it!
Memorization Reminders:
Please join me in memorizing these verses and implanting God’s thoughts into our minds. I’m expecting for God to radically change our lives if we do this. Redeem your time to make room for memorizing God’s Word. Take this verse with you wherever you go. Meditate on it, and pulverize it.
We are blessed to live in a time where we can have the Bible at our fingertips even through the internet or an actual Bible in our hands. Yet, this blessing can become a curse if we do not treat the Bible with such honor to savor every word of it as those through the centuries who have longed to have His Word so much. They had to memorize every Scripture they had ever been given because their own copy of the Scripture was not possible.
Most of us probably don’t memorize Scripture because we think that we do not have the time. However, our minds have a lot of wasted space that can be given to God. We have to redeem the time. For women, we can use the time while putting on our make-up or blow drying our hair. For men, use the time while shaving. For both genders, we can use the time while we shower, stop at red lights, do the laundry, wash the dishes, and mow the lawn. Let’s face it: our minds are thinking about something during this time. Instead of being focused on our obsessions, worries, cares, to-do’s, and problems, give this time to God.
Take your verse(s) with you wherever you go. You can type your verse out and put it on beautiful sheets of your choice. You can write it out on index cards. Many people prefer index cards spiral bound to keep them together. For iphone users, I’m sure there is an app. You can write it on your iphone notepad or record your voice speaking it and replay it throughout the day.
Now that we have the verse and we have found the time, let’s focus on the method. We don’t just memorize it by saying it over and over; we meditate on it. We spend time thinking about what each word means and what it doesn’t mean.
Then one of my favorite techniques as taught by Waylon Moore is to pulverize the verse. Say the verse over and over each time focusing on a different word in the verse to emphasize. For example, say 2 Corinthians 4:18 (today’s verse) aloud and say with more umph the underlined and bolded word:
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
Repeat this process until each word in the verse has been emphasized.
After meditating and pulverizing the verse continuously for a week, the seed planted in our hearts will begin to germinate. You and I will no longer be merely short-term memorizing, but the Word will dwell within us. When God’s Word dwells within us, something miraculous happens. Our minds are renewed and transformed into the mind of Christ. We worry and fret less. We are armed for the attacks of the enemy. Our lips will be full of praise for our God. My friend, I’m ready for that kind of transformation!
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