Have you ever laid down in your bed to go to sleep and immediately felt like it was the first time you have laid down in the last two weeks? I love that feeling! You know, when it seems like your whole body exhales all of the tension and pent up cares of the day to day regimen that we tend to try to keep up with. It is almost like we are really…wait for it…wait for it…relaxing! I have one of those Tempur Pedic memory foam mattresses…the kind they supposedly use on the space shuttle or somesuch. Anyway, I love my mattress! It always goes back into perfect shape unlike those mattresses of lesser quality…er…you know what I mean. Okay, I am a mattress snob now. The great thing about my mattress is that when I get into bed at night, the mattress forms to my body and takes all the pressure off the necessary points that need relief. 
As I was thinking about this memory foam mattress, of course while lying down on it, I began to think about my son, Cole. He has been on a personal quest as of late. He has been personally challenged to read the Bible and learn Scripture. I guess, the eye-opening moment was a few weeks ago when I asked him if he knew what John 3:16 said. Most of you know it…
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This was the most googled verse this past football season thanks to one Tim Tebow. Cole is 10 years old and had no clue as to what it said. I was stunned. Here I am, the former Pastor of a church and ministry leader and my own son doesn’t know John 3:16. It was at that moment, I made a decision to show Cole, as well as my other kids, the importance of memorizing Scripture. Their school motto is derived from the Golden Rule which is found in Matthew 7:12 where it says,
“…Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Of course, they think I have some kind of special Pastor powers that helps me to have the entire Bible memorized…and in case you don’t believe it…
thats good…because I don’t. It actually takes memory work to commit Scripture to memory. Yes, I actually have to repeat it over and over again. I know, why do we need to memorize Scripture when we can just read it? Well, the best answer that I can give is found in Scripture…one of my favorite passages, by the way…found in Psalm 119:9-11,
9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
So, we hide God’s Word in our heart so we will not sin against Him…makes sense, huh?
Well, back to my story…Cole now takes his Bible to school with him and sits it on his desk. When he has free time or reading time, he reads his Bible and works on memorizing Scripture for the sole purpose of playing “stump the daddy/Pastor” when he gets home. I kind of like it! He always gets me but also gets to share what he read throughout his day.
With that, I issue you the challenge…there are 12 months in one year…(learned that the other day)…will you take the challenge of memorizing a Scripture a month and hiding that Word in your heart? It will help you in more ways than you think…because when your kids don’t know John 3:16…you get a grandkid with a dog collar…don’t have a grandkid with a dog collar
1 John 1:7 says,
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
Will you take the challenge?
What will be the first verse you will start memorizing?
Like memory foam shapes to your body, will you let Scripture shape your soul?
oneguyseyes 