REVIEW: The Memorization Study Bible

There is no denying the importance of Scripture memorization for Spiritual health, wellness and growth of the individual. But greater still is the richness of Scriptures when it is not only committed to heart but spoken daily in conversation, in meditation. Master Books has published a new study Bible with the intention of making memorization easier for the individual. When I was given the opportunity to review this Bible I jumped at the chance. I am always looking for new ways to introduce Scripture memorization to my children and myself and to incorporate it into our daily home school work. I have to begin this review by stressing that memorization is absolutely important - Scripture is like water to a thirsty soul, it is comfort when we are in turmoil, it is an anchor when the world turns upside down or the storms of life rage. Scripture is the lighthouse in the darkest night, it guides us in the valley of shadows, it covers us when the enemy attacks, it is a stronghold and a shield. But too often it is relegated to reading alone, and at the most quiet internal memorization. But God intended for more. He intended that Scripture be conversational. I loved the fact that in Appendix A this was addressed when the author stated that "God did not write to Moses; He spoke to him." There is such unequivocal power in the spoken word. In fact Scripture admonishes that there is the power of life and death in the tongue. So, if the spoken word is powerful how much more powerful the spoken WORD is (the Word of God). The author goes on to state "the sense of the spoken word as divine power is especially vivid in the foundational accounts of diverse peoples, ancient and modern, in all parts of the world". The Word, the spoken Word of God. Rhema is the Greek word meaning "God's spoken Word". We named our 7th daughter Rhema as a reminder of God's spoken Word and the power of it. We pray that she will embrace the Word and speak the Word and by doing so impact the world with the love of God through his Word. But then, this is our prayer for each of our children. We wish for them to speak the Word in everyday situations, in everyday conversations, as natural as other forms of speech. In the end it is well pointed out by the author that "putting words down permanently in writing places them outside the heart, while the seat of emotions is in the heart. The greater part of ancient literature was intended for the ears more than the eyes". These thoughts are echoed in Romans 10:17 when it is written that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God". On any given morning you will hear over the spray of the shower my husband reciting scripture to himself as he gets ready. Later you will hear the recitation of Scripture through out the house. At night we gather to read through the Bible and study the Scripture. My husband told someone that the person who needs to hear the Scripture most is his own ears so he reads it aloud when he is studying, he writes it out and reads it again. This practice has led to him memorizing whole passages of Scripture by the time he preaches each Sunday. One person once asked how he could preach without notes his reply, "I spend time reading and writing the Scripture and I listen closely to the Lord". This Bible is amazing. It offers a unique tool to aid in memorization. I have really enjoyed reading it and studying it. For the purpose of this review I printed out a portion of the Bible - this is because I am better with a book in hand. I loved the fact that there was room in the margin to journal as I love to do artwork and doodles as I read and study. I began in the book of 2 Peter as we are going through this book at church. The Bible is layed out in a way that makes it easy to memorize by smaller parts, each line has the number of words out to the side. For me the layout made it easy to put the verse to a rhythm, to see words (especially repeating) and to see breaks in the text. For instance in the first chapter of 2 Peter almost each line begins with "and". In addition to the unique layout there are little boxes with highlighted Scriptures. In the appendices there are short Scriptures, Popular chapters, Important New Testament verses to help jumpstart the memorization. If you are looking for an encouraging way to learn Scripture this is it. Instead of selected verses this is set up for entire chapters or the entire Bible. I like that the reader can decide what to memorize and in what order; unlike other memorization tools that select certain verses and chapters or books. I highly recommend this resource for every home. I will be purchasing it for Graduation gifts and Christmas gifts. I do wish it were offered in another translation as well as the KJV. I have done most of the Psalms and Proverbs in KJV because it is lyrical, however for the purpose of a New Testament I usually prefer the ESV or a more modern translation. I think that some words that are archaic or out of use in the KJV sometimes hinder the new believer who is unfamiliar with the words. However, I still stand by the fact that God's Word is living and powerful and no matter the translation the Holy Spirit still moves and the Word never returns without results. For more great products visit www.masterbooks.com