Janet Pope - His Word in My Heart: Memorizing Scripture for a Closer Walk with God

2013, 2002 by
JANET POPE

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Edited by Annette Laplaca

Interior design: Ragont Design

Cover design: ThinkPen Design

Cover image: 2013 Shutterstock / 108379676

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Pope, Janet.
His word in my heart : memorizing scripture for a closer walk with God /
Janet Pope.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8024-0964-5
1. BibleMemorizing. I. Title.
BS617.7.P66 2013
220.07dc23

2013013126

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To Ethan,
Your constancy harbors me,
your sacrifice propels me,
your assurance buoys me.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS AN ODYSSEYan unpredictable, arduous journey with many bends in the road and surprise encounters along the way. As travelers in a strange place we have no control over the elements: the cold, the wind, the darkness. Uncertainty pervades, hardships abound, and obstacles lurk in the shadows. The struggles we each face will vary, but we share a common destination. When our Father calls us home, He guarantees our arrival. The issue is not where we are going, but how we will get there.

Twenty years ago, at a fork in the road, my life took the path that led me to where I am today. The forthcoming details share the essence of my story. Inspired by an unknown woman, I began to memorize long passages and entire books of the Bible. Two small children and a never-ending list of things to do left no extra time slots in my day. I reasoned that if God wanted me to know Him and His Word, He would make a way. He wouldnt require something of me and then make it impossible to achieve.

I trained myself to use moments throughout my day to memorize Scripture when my hands were busy but my mind was free. Household chores required busyness but not thoughtfulness, so I included Scripture memory in my daily routines: showering, drying my hair, folding laundry, vacuuming, waiting in traffic or at the dentists office. Idle minutes became opportunities to get to know Gods Word.

Over the years, this practice has added up to an enormous amount of Scripture memory: 140 chapters so far. However, its not the accomplishment that has changed my life but rather the process of thinking and meditating on specific truth learned in its context. I saw a major difference between memorizing scattered verses and memorizing verses that follow each other sequentially. I learned whole truth, not fragments, fit together the way God had intended. I experienced new depth in my relationship with God as I got to know His Word one verse at a time.

My initial motivation was strictly personal; I wanted to get closer to God for my own well-being. But I also knew how much influence a mother has on her children. Without wisdom from God, where would I lead them? Gods Word, continually on my heart and mind, brought insight and discernment to each new situation. As a mother, I wanted to teach my children the way in which they should go, and now that role was less arbitrary.

Scripture memory became my platform as people called, asking me to share my story with the women of their church. Why? Because they too were desperate to have Gods Word as a constant source of nourishment for their weary souls. As I travel and speak across the country, Ive found that women dont want to postpone a closer walk with God until they have more time. Women hungry for God need Him today.

In this book I present an alternative for the frazzled, guilt-ridden woman who longs to know God and His Word but hasnt yet found a way to accomplish this amidst the unrelenting treadmill of activities. I cannot add one more hour to your day, but I can help you change the minutes and the moments you already have. My desire is to be intensely practical. Take my experience and my suggestions and adapt them to your own situation; find what works for you.

At a speaking engagement in Tulsa, a woman thanked me for my message. She said, Ive got to change my thinking habits. With all the bad news in our country, I find myself meditating on all the whys and what-ifs, and Im emotionally exhausted at the end of the day. I can see that my whole outlook would change if I would meditate on Gods Word instead.

I hope to lead you to the oasis of Gods Word, to inspire you to trade your thoughts for Gods. As you give your attention to His Word, He will meet you in unexpected placesamidst the laundry pile and the dish pile, in the carpool line and the drive-thru line. Your relationship with God will grow deeper and richer than you ever imagined. As your constant companion, Hell become an intimate confidant.

On our pilgrimage through this life unforeseen hurdles await us, but the road was never meant to be traveled alone. God gave us His Word to guide us through the lonely valleys and immovable mountains we face. For me, the journey takes on new meaning. Though night approaches, I move forward unafraid. An illuminated path shows me the way, one step at a time, with His Word in my heart.

AN EMPTY HOUSE, A STUFFED U-Haul, and exhaust fumes on the rise signaled the time to leave. Four-year-old Austin and six-year-old Natalie, eager to ride with their dad for the five-hundred-mile trip, left me in peaceful solitude in my own car. My week flashed backcrumpled newspapers, labeled boxes, and please-dont-leave hugs. As we ascended the ramp onto Interstate 20, leaving Dallas in my rearview mirror, I visualized God taking us in a new direction, on a new road, to a new lifein Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

After an hour of driving, the Christian radio station faded. Now alone with my thoughts, I relived memories from the last eight years: three houses remodeled while living in them (marriage still intact), hunting for antiques in those smothering barns in Forney, and hilarious moments at Supper Club. A difficult pregnancy turned to joy when a daughter arrived. Two years later, a son. Those tender years glued us together as a family, and we grew. Snapshots etched in my mind reveal a snowman and two frozen-cheeked toddlers, a blow-up swimming pool and dancing in the sprinklers. Well always remember the Texas State Fair, Bagelsteins, the Mesquite Rodeo, and of course, Americas Team and ours, the Dallas Cowboys. Friends gathered every Fourth of July for all-you-can-peel shrimp and homemade Butterfinger ice cream. Leaving Dawna, my lets-get-together friend, tugged at my resolve. Together we had trudged through newlywed confusion and newborn exhaustion. That chapter now closed.