Some Quick Words on Memorization

Repetition is the mother of memory, we have been rightly told, and such is the case with the memorization of Scripture. I have never bought into all the memory systems out there that use various visualizations and tricks to remember things. Maybe I should, as I am not good with names, though I’m pretty good with faces. Anyway, I memorize Scriptures the old fashioned way: write out the verse, repeat it phrase by phrase until I am able to do so entirely. Review the next day, and move to the next step, the ability to write it back out from memory. I had an old QuickVerse program years and years ago that allowed you to do the same thing on the computer. In any case, I would review the verse for a full week and, if I could successfully cite it and write it out after a week, it would go into the long term list, to be reviewed on a monthly basis.
   
I am certain there are a number of computer programs out there to assist with this work, and in fact, I will be looking myself for a Palm product to assist me personally. I already have some excellent programs for vocabulary review in that realm, and if anyone knows of a “MemVerse” kind of program (that was back in the 80s) that still exists (or something like it for the Palm), please drop me a line. I’d appreciate it.
   
I don’t buy the excuse some folks offer that “I can’t memorize the Bible.” Almost everyone I know memorizes passwords and all sorts of numbers and addresses and the like. It is almost always a matter of having a strong enough desire and having a goal you wish to reach.
   
So as you work on Colossians 2:8-9, make sure once you are able to quote it correctly, work on writing it out. That is the real test of whether you have it plainly in mind. And then review it! Start a card file if you need to, use the computer, whatever will allow you to review over the course of the week and then to review it on a less frequent basis once you have it in long term memory.