Learning by heart and receiving in the heart

"These words which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart." Deuteronomy 6: 6

"He said to me : Son of man, all my words that I will speak unto thee, receive them in thy heart, and hear them with thine ears." Ezekiel 3: 10

Those who attended Sunday schools, children's clubs or Christian schools remember the biblical verses that the monitors had them learn and recite. For some it was a chore and for others a pleasure. In any case, to know verses by heart is an important help throughout life, not to impress the entourage, but to meditate on the Word of God and to communicate the Gospel when we do not have a Bible at hand.

At a time when the reading of the Bible was forbidden, Christians from Piedmont (Italy) had itinerant preachers called "barbs" ("uncles" in Piedmontese, that is to say, ancient), a term both of Respect and affection. For their preparation for the ministry of the Word, the "beards" were to learn by heart the gospels of Matthew and John, all the epistles, and the greater part of the Psalms, Proverbs, and prophets !

There are accounts where Christians imprisoned without a Bible have been able, by reciting biblical verses, to testify and bring to the salvation several fellow prisoners. However, the Bible has been written for it to be read and it is also impregnated in the "heart". This word designates the inner man in a broad sense. It encompasses character, personality, will, thought, emotions.

When studying the Bible, it is to understand it, to put it into practice and to be able to witness our faith with intelligence. The Bible is given to the believer to feed and transmit it. The prophet Ezekiel understood it: in a vision, an angel told him to eat a scroll of the book he gave him (Ezek. 3: 3) ; John also devoured a little book to be able to prophesy "over peoples, nations, tongues and many kings" (Rev. 10: 8-11).

If we want our testimony to be credible to those around us, it is not enough to quote from memory some beautiful Bible verses. It is necessary to apply them to our hearts and make them visible through all our behavior.

It has been said : Blessed is the man who possesses a Bible ! Happier is the one who reads it! The happiest of all is the one who not only reads it, but observes it, and makes it the rule of his faith and conduct !

Source (To pleasing the Lord)