Our 21-day-experiment officially ended yesterday, but keep going if you’re not done yet. I had two out-of-town trips, got ahead, then fell behind, then fell further behind, then I doubled up, and caught up. It doesn’t matter how you get there.
Spending 21 days in the same psalm—repeating every word, every phrase, every line, over and over—what does that do for someone? You don’t know what the benefit will be when you start out.
My time in Psalm 145 made me feel like I’d never even read it before.
As much as I love to study the Bible and read commentaries, memorizing gives me the chance to learn for myself before getting someone else’s take. And seeing it myself sends my bliss-meter through the roof.
“Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
David, a king himself, declares God to be his King. Compelled by his unsearchable greatness, in both attributes and acts, God’s people use their voices to praise and extol him, to magnify his kingdom, to sing and celebrate, and then to pass on his fame to the next generation.
This psalm highlights the Lord’s interactions with his people. Trusting his promises, they look to him to provide their needs and desires, they call on him in truth, fear him, and love him. With gracious compassion and extravagant love, the Lord holds up all who fall, opens his hand to provide, draws near and listens, saves them and watches over them—lavish abundance!
David, knowing that the praise of one man will never be enough, calls on every creature to join him in extolling the greatness of the LORD. Through memorizing this psalm, I too unite with David, borrowing his words, making them my own, and expressing my worship without having to search for the right words.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of this psalm, but I’ve jumpstarted the process by committing it to memory. Here’s how I’ll keep it going:
• Review Psalm 145 every day for at least a month. To make sure I do that, I will either do it first thing in the morning, or, I will couple it with something I do every day, like making coffee. It only takes two minutes to review the entire psalm—totally doable.
• Then I will put it in my review rotation with the other psalms I’ve memorized.
• Third, the spiral that I wrote it on will stay in my car, so I can review while driving.
• I will recite it to my scripture memory group, which meets once a month. This will push me to get it solidified, and it will bless them as they listen.
• I will now study the psalm, and hopefully have an opportunity to teach it.
How will you keep from forgetting it? Devise a plan that works for you, then execute the plan.
Stay tuned for the next memorizing adventure. I plan on starting something new on June 1. Would you like to join me? We can work on the same passage or a different one—either way, we can do it together. I’ll let you know which passage I decide on. I welcome any ideas or suggestions.
This was such a great idea, Janet! I personally did not join you on this adventure as I am in the midst of memorizing 1 Peter. However, one of the precious ladies in my Bible study group did join you. She said it is really blessing her and it blessed me that she was undertaking “the adventure”.
I am so glad to hear about your friend. Every time I take on a new memory project the Lord shows me new things and gives me such a sweet time with Him. Psalm 145 was a breath of fresh air.
I got waaaay behind, but am still totally committed to memorize Psalm 145. I still haven’t made a good plan, but that’s mostly my lack of focus. Still grateful for this opportunity.
Falling behind is normal. Glad you’re not giving up. I’m going to check on you friend, so now you have an accountability partner. I’ll be giving you a phone call soon. Hope this helps. Another tip given to me by someone else – set a timer on your phone for every 3 hours, and each time say your verse. You will get used to the reminder and after a while you won’t need the timer any more. Just a suggestion.
Great idea!
I would like to join a Scripture memory group in my area but don’t know how to find one. I Live in the Spokane Washington area. How do I find a group.
Hi Shelly, I did a women’s conference in Spokane last September (Northview Bible Church). I will check with the church and see if they have a group still going. If not, I will put your request on my blog. I’ll get back with you as soon as I find something out.
Like some others I got a bit behind, but I still am going to accomplish memorizing it!! Looking forward to June 1st!! There’s no groups around me, so this was nice just to know there were others memorizing something with me and also knowing others get behind was good to know!!!
I’m glad to know that others out there are still plugging away at Psalm 145. I have loved the words SO MUCH. It’s one of my new favorites. Well I do say that every time but I think this one will go in my list of all-time faves.
In the middle of some very stressful stuff in the Castillo home, Psalm 145 has been such a beautiful reminder of WHO will see us through this time. I wasn’t planning on doing this Psalm when Janet first mentioned it. I was swimming along in Hebrews 6, but I looked at it, and then really felt I wanted to do it. I’m glad I did. It hasn’t been easy! So many words are repeated and phrases are repeated in different order. That made me slow down, think and put pictures in my mind to remember the differences.
One funny thing that has NEVER happened to me before. A few days ago, I was up to verse 19, and I decided to go ahead and record on my SCRIPTURE TYPER app the whole Psalm since I was almost done.
I had my typical chapters up all over the house: Landscape, 3 columns, different colors for each verse…just as I’ve done with all my previous chapters, but as I was recording and reading it right from Scripture Typer, I got to verse 13 and realized the 2nd part of the verse had been left out! It probably happened when I was cutting and pasting from my NIV84 app to my Pages app. It will be a challenge as I review the whole chapter to insert the part I missed,… “The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made”….
I will though! I’m so very thankful that this chapter is in my memory now.
I will continue to review it every day for quite awhile as I dive back into the waters of Hebrews 6.
PS:
(I’m emailing Janet a PDF of how I set up Psalm 145, if any of y’all wanna see it.)
Hi Cherie,
I have missed verses before because when I copied the passage onto my spiral, somehow I didn’t copy it correctly and then I had to insert it later. It can be done but only with concentration. The verse you missed might be easier to remember because it is so important. I need that promise every day to remind me that even when technology challenges me beyond my skill-level and kicks me in the shins, God is still God and his Word is still true. It is truer than anything else. Press on.
I am still wandering around in Titus. I get the last parts of chapter 2 and 3 confused a bit. Anyway, I plan to keep on going in it until it is solid. I hope to hear from the Lord concerning the next thing to memorize. Yesterday I heard a sermon on Lamentations and I was intrigued. I want to look it over a bit and maybe choose 2 or 3 chapters to memorize. It is a heavy book, but it is full of hope in the Lord.
Hi Lynette, I’ve never known anyone to memorize Lamentations but I’m sure someone out there has. You’re right, it is a heavy book, but God meets us in our heavy places with new mercies every morning. Let us all know what you decide to memorize.