For years, I wanted to memorize scripture and never got around to actually tackling this daunting task; that’s until I had an idea to create a resource that I could carry with me all the time and remember and abide in God’s word wherever my feet took me. The conviction towards this discipline in my walk with the Lord came from generational faithfulness. I witnessed how knowing God’s word can change the world because it changed the world around me. My Great Grandpa, Frank, came to the Lord through a Billy Graham Revival; through his newfound faith in Christ, he sought to know the word and share this good news with everyone. Even through hardship and brokenness, he eventually met my Great-Grandma, and they started a family together; now, four generations later, Jesus is still the heartbeat of our family. 

My Grandmother tells stories of how she remembers him down in the farmhouse dining room late at night with a flickering light, running through his bible memory flashcards. He would come in from long days in the field and tend to his family, and as they rested, he would retreat to the Word and sit with Jesus. Now, just hearing these stories would be enough, but I, too, have sweet memories of my Grandpa Frank. During the last chapter of his life, he was at a nursing home just a few minutes away, and we would visit him often after elementary school. We would grab him a McDouble and chocolate shake and just sit with him. By this time, he had lost nearly all of his eyesight, his hearing was starting to go, and his mind was fading, but something remained. The Word remained. My mom and grandma would pull out this thick deck of cards, faded, worn, and stained, and start listing bible references; one after another, he would recite the verses back to us nearly perfectly. 

Throughout his life, he didn’t just hear God’s word; he loved it, lived it, and abided by it. His legacy endures because he devoted his life to Jesus and lived by Scripture, which never fades. The Lord can work and inspire in many ways, and I am amazed that ten-year-old me had the privilege of witnessing such fervent faith. Over a decade later, the legacy he started instilled in me the conviction to know God’s word more deeply, which ultimately led me to create a resource that is now reaching thousands and, I pray, starting and sustaining faith legacies around the world. He passed away years ago, but the word of the Lord that he helped plant deep into our family has remained. 

Maybe you have similar testimonies of the Word like this, or maybe not; what I do know is that if you’re reading this, God has been faithful in revealing himself to you through people and plans written before the creation of the earth. The testimony of my Grandpa Frank is just one of those things in life that I can’t help but worship the orchestrator of all creation for. Faithfulness only God can give.

None of this happened overnight. It took years of discipline, ultimately producing a fervent desire to walk in truth, not only for him but also for his children and theirs. How cool is it that desire produces discipline and that discipline then again creates more deep desires in Christ. The world will tell you that the Christian life will force you to deny your desires, but rather, true belief in Christ and His work grants us even stronger right desires that are fulfilled all the more and last throughout generations. Whether you’ve been feeling the poke to memorize the Word for years like I did or you are just feeling it now, let’s make the jump together. The truth is that memorizing scripture isn’t a mark of righteousness or a badge of faithfulness. Rather, it’s a small discipline that can produce faithful desires and a fruitful life that can change the way you see the world. Ultimately transforming the world around you. Desire a legacy of faith like my Grandpa Frank? Get in the word, know it, abide in it, live by it, and remain faithful to the end.