Many years ago, I had the privilege of hearing Gracia Burnham speak at a Women’s Bible study. For 17 years, Gracia and her husband Martin were missionaries in the Philippines. In 2001 while on a vacation celebrating their anniversary, they were kidnapped, along with other hotel guests, by a militant terrorist group. Some of the hostages were killed immediately and some were released. Gracia and Martin were held captive in the jungle for more than a year. With a continuous threat of death, they moved constantly in the harsh, primitive surroundings, enduring unimaginable conditions.
Sadly, on the day of their rescue, Martin was shot and killed. Gracia was injured, but was eventually reunited with her family in the states. As she shared details of their captivity, Gracia said that she and Martin took turns sharing memorized Scriptures. With no access to a Bible, Gracia said that were it not for those deeply buried Scriptures, they likely would have perished before rescue attempts were made. Those Scriptures gave them hope.
A small group friend who recently underwent a harrowing health crisis that involved surgery and a long hospitalization shared a similar sentiment regarding buried Scriptures. Unable to read the Word due to intense pain, my friend relied heavily on Scriptures she had committed to memory. Those Scriptures gave her hope.
“It all comes down to what you have stored in your bank,” she remarked repeatedly.
We never know when circumstances may prohibit us from physically thumbing through the Bible. If we fail to make regular deposits in our spiritual bank account, where will we look for peace, or hope, comfort or direction?
Reading a daily devotion, listening to a sermon or worship music or scheduling a regular quiet time to pray and talk to God are all great ways to make a spiritual deposit. Memorizing Scripture is a particularly beneficial asset that guarantees a huge return on your investment.
You may not be going through a trial at the present, but Life being what it is – you can expect that at some point in the future you will likely face unexpected challenges or difficulties. I think 2020 was a great example of how quickly life can fall apart and disrupt our well-ordered existence.
Have you been diligent in making regular deposits in your spiritual bank account? It’s never to late to start your “savings plan.”
When life pushes back, our survival and success “All comes down to what we have stored in our bank!”
What’s in YOUR spiritual bank account?
Blessings in Christ, Kathy K.
I love the visuals you always use. I have missed the blog, haven’t seen in a while, they are always so edifying. Thank you much. Memorizing has always been hard for me, I get a paraphrase for most.
I have missed the blog also. Thank you, Kathy, for this beautiful message. Scriotures are so meaningful in our lives during easy times and difficult times.
I really need to work on this! I have mild cognitive impairment! And my memory is declining.
Most of the time I pray and read the Bible everyday. Thank you for your blog! I miss them too.
Amen! Thank you so much for sharing Kathy. She has an incredible story. I have read her book called In the Presence of My Enemies.
***We had some blog issues over the past few months but hopefully, everything is fixed now and you all should be getting notified when a new post is made. Blessings! : )
Thank you for sharing this! What a great reminder of the importance of memorizing scripture.