Ingrained and Engraved

For seven years, American pilot Howard Rutledge was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. In his memoir, he wrote that on his first New Year’s Day of captivity, he made three resolutions that he repeated each year.

First, he would try never to be cold again. Second, he would try never to be hungry again. And third, he would never be without the Bible again.

He wanted the Bible ingrained in his mind and engraved on his heart.

It’s interesting how our priorities can change. That’s why Bible memorization is so important. We have only so much room in our minds. Just as computers have a specific amount of memory to hold information, we have only so much memory in the minds that God has given us.

So many of us know the latest gossip about Hollywood celebrities, or we can recite sports statistics or other interesting facts. But are we taking the time to fill our minds with the Word of God? When we get God’s Word into our minds, it will stay with us forever. And when we’re tempted, we’ll have it to recall and use.

For instance, when the devil temped Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus defended Himself again and again with the Scriptures. And the apostle Paul referred to God’s Word as “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17).

The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT). This is essentially saying that our hearts will be kept by God’s Word because we keep God’s Word in our hearts.

Let’s not waste our memory banks. Let’s fill them with important information. It’s great to carry the Bible in your pocket, backpack, or purse. It’s also great to have it on your phone. But the best place to carry the Bible is in your heart.

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