Canning the Word

Read: Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14-17

“What a summer this has turned out to be!” said Leah. “When we moved to the country, I thought I’d be riding horses and wading in the creek. But lately it seems like all I’ve been doing is snapping beans, husking corn, shelling peas, and now peeling peaches for canning and freezing.”

Mom smiled. “I think you’ve found plenty of time for fun things too, and when winter comes, you’ll be glad we have all this food preserved.”

Leah shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m tired of it now!”

A few months later, shortly after Christmas, a blizzard began. Soon Leah and her family were snowed in.

“Oh, Mom, what are we going to do?” Leah asked as she stared through the window at the swirling snow. “It might be days before we can get out!”

Mom smiled. “Well, we’ve got lots of wood for the fire, and the freezer is full of meat. And we’ve got plenty of good home-canned food too.”

“That’s true!” said Leah. “There’s no danger we’ll go hungry, is there?” She sighed. “But I’m so bored! It’s too windy and cold to play outside. What can I do that’s fun?”

Mom laughed. “You have lots of books and games and puzzles. You could also memorize your verses for church.”

“Yeah, but I don’t see why we have to learn so many verses,” said Leah. “We’ve got lots of Bibles—and you and Dad even have Bibles on your phones. Anytime we need a verse, we can just look it up.”

“Remember how you complained about all that canning and freezing last summer?” Mom asked. “Now that a storm came along and we’re snowed in and can’t get to the store, we’re glad we have lots of food stored up, right?”

“Sure,” Leah said.

“Well, in life, you never know when stormy times will come. There may be times when you’ll face temptation or need to remember God’s love for you or have a chance to tell someone about Jesus, and it’s not always possible or convenient to look up verses in the Bible or on a phone. Then you’ll be glad to have those verses stored in your heart so you can feast on God’s Word anytime!”

“So I should ‘can’ those verses?” Leah asked with a smile. “Okay, I will!”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Do you memorize God’s Word? Memorizing Bible verses is a great way to help you remember what Jesus has done for you and share Him with others. Verses you’ve learned can be a help, encouragement, and comfort to you. Think about what each verse means as you memorize. Then store it in your heart so you’ll have it whenever you need it.

Today’s key verse: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Memorize Bible verses