“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…” –Ecclesiastes 12:1
When I look back at my earliest memories connected with my faith, one of the most prominent involves Bible memorization. I remember these verses about which I have been writing to this day, even though I learned them over 45 years ago. Memorizing scripture continued to be part of my education from kindergarten through 12th grade. I believe this not only served to develop my mind for learning, but also established my faith in ways I could not even have imagined in my youth.
In addition to memorizing the verses in this A-Z book, another early memory for me involved attending church. My mother sang in the choir, and I have one specific memory of her returning to our pew where I sat with my father and brother, and I climbed into her lap and leaned against her shoulder. The choir robe she wore was cool to the touch and felt calming against my cheek. My parents brought my brother and me to church every Sunday as far back as I can remember.
Memorizing scripture and attending church doesn’t save a person, but both are expected and natural desires once someone accepts Christ as Savior. Both practices are for our benefit. Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” In Hebrews 10:25, we are admonished to make a habit of meeting together not only to worship, but also to encourage each other: “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
In order to remember something, we must revisit it in our minds; otherwise, we are likely to forget it. It is impossible to keep everything on our minds at all times, so we must prioritize what is important to dwell upon in our thoughts and recollections. This verse speaks wisdom in simplicity to put our Creator in that position, beginning in our earliest days.