A Call To Memorize

You can never memorize too much of God’s Word. Just ask my husband.

Hi, I’m Joni, and I’m pretty proud of Ken Tada and how he is relentless and constant when it comes to memorizing the Bible. I recently received an email from a WIHS listener named Michael who was really touched by something Ken shared on the radio. And here’s what Michael wrote; he said: “A few months ago I heard you, Joni, interview your husband on how he memorizes Scripture. Ken said that he recites parts of Matthew chapter five to chapter seven each night. It was a great encouragement to me to also memorize Scripture. Ken’s unselfish love and devotion have been a HUGE benefit to us all. So, thank you, Ken! If you ever need a place to stay in Connecticut, we’d love to serve you.”

Well, thank you, Michael; and that means a lot to me, and I have passed on your good words to Ken. You should know that right now, he’s halfway through Psalm 51 and recently, he memorized the entire first chapter of James. He’s thinking about memorizing Psalm 19 next, because in it, verse 11 says the Word of God warns us; it cautions us; it’s like a red flag waving, or a yellow light blinking. And Ken knows we all need that. He was telling me the other night how careful, how cautious he needs to be when he goes on YouTube – that’s because, you know, YouTube has these algorithms that have figured out that he’s a guy, and he likes to watch football videos and military videos and fly-fishing instructional videos. His viewing habits reveal that, okay, he’s a rugged guy who likes male stuff, and so every once in a while, YouTube has placed enticing popups that are totally inappropriate. And so, Ken was saying that he never goes there; he never clicks on that stuff because he wants to obey God; he wants to turn his eyes from worthless things, as it says in the Psalms. Like Job, he has made a covenant with his eyes. And these are all examples of Psalm 19:11 where it says, “By [Scripture] your servant is warned; in keeping [your Word] is great reward.”

Friend, my husband knows there is great reward in memorizing the Word of God. Ken Tada usually writes out the verses on individual 3×5 index cards that he keeps with him. And whether he’s outside at night on the front porch, or in the waiting room of a medical appointment; wherever he is, he pulls out his cards and learns one verse by heart, then he repeats the one before it, and he keeps building one verse on top of the next until he’s got it.

So, Michael up there in Connecticut? Get yourself a pack of 3×5 cards and get started in the new year. And if you’d like, join Ken and me in reading through the Bible this year – we’re going to be following the Scriptures in chronology so we can get a real feel for the biblical flow of history. We’ve got a great reading plan you can download right on my radio page, and also a wonderful gift that I’d like to send you, Michael, and all our other listeners. It’s a fabulous resource that details ever major Bible event, every king and prophet in chronological order, explaining what fits where and why. So go to joniradio.org and ask for your free copy of the “Chronology of the Bible” and while you’re at it, download your reading schedule for 2021, as we will get started together this Friday in Genesis chapter one. Got lots of other great resources on my radio page, too, including info about our new Pray for Life Bible. So, check it all out at joniradio.org where we sure do love sharing hope through every one of your hardships. Visit us today at joniradio.org.

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Chronology of the Bible

Follow the chronological timeline of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation with this colorful, 14-page, pamphlet. Understand how over 200 key Bible characters, books and events fit within the larger story of God’s Word. A valuable resource for covering 2,200 years of biblical history at a glance!