When I was young, the repetitive television commercials grabbed me. I knew all the jingles; even now I may randomly blurt out one or two from the past. When my children were young, we would listen to Bible verses and rules of good manners, set to catchy music. Even though those were for the kids’ benefit, they stuck with me because of how much I heard them.
Many students have learned the books of the Bible, the American states, or math facts set to music. Advertisers depend on a company’s tune or repeated visual ad coming to mind when a potential customer has a need.
God’s truths can get ‘stuck’ in our minds, too, if we repeat them enough. It is a beautiful thing to have our emptied mind suddenly sing a praise to God, seemingly coming out of nowhere. It is fantastic to have God’s words in our heart, brought to mind by the Holy Spirit just when we need it. Not only are these beautiful and fantastic, but they are powerful and comforting.
The words of God can bring us comfort by reminding us of whose we are and how great our God is. The scriptures can remind us of God’s truths so that we can stop the lies of the enemy. When our mind holds a godly perspective, coupled with obedience to whose perspective we hold, the things of the here and now will grow strangely dim in the light of who Jesus is. This is the message of the well-known song “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” whose words were inspired by a gospel tract of 1880s missionary Lilias Trotter.
Like anything we choose to remember, it takes intentional repetition to get it cemented in our minds. The motivation of wanting to be transformed by God can be the catalyst for putting in the effort to practice Bible verses. In Keep on Track, the verses are seen and read, verbally stated, and sketched as a memory aid. The verse’s words are found in a word search and the verse’s concept heard in a song. Then, you put God’s words into practice as you live!
Many methods work together to get the words of God repeated in your mind. Learning about God’s truths and who God is, committing to submit in obedience to Jesus, and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s lead all work together to keep the truths in your heart.