| 1 Peter 3:15 – “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” |
The score was tied at 80 for each team, with just one question left. My two sisters and a friend were on one side of the church and their biggest rival was just across the platform. The regional championship was on the line. The quizmaster said, “Question number 20, question: Quote Matthew 7:7.” All six quizzers jumped from their seats. My oldest sister was the first one up and she quoted the verse correctly! The church erupted in applause as our team was awarded the trophy.
Bible quizzing was a huge part of my upbringing – watching my older siblings when they were teens, and then having my turn a few years later. Hundreds of hours of studying and memorizing took place long before the first contests. Practice, teamwork, strategy…. all were parts of the process. Winning trophies was fun, but the main thing we all gained was learning God’s word so thoroughly that we could recall it more than 50 years later and apply it to our lives now.
I still remember verses I learned from Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians that I can use to help me with the issues and struggles of today. My younger brother has continued to be involved in quizzing and has coached for many years, even winning national championships. But what he stresses more than anything to his quizzers is to be able to apply the scripture to their lives.
Our verse for today tells us that we should be able to explain the hope we feel as believers. The best way to do that is to know and understand God’s word. Memorization can be difficult at times but is such a comfort when God is able to bring a particular passage back to us just when we need it most.
Prayer: Dear Father – help me to want to not only read your word, but to study and memorize so that it is always fresh in my thoughts. Bring these verses back to me when I need them most – whether in times of trial or when I am asked about my faith. Amen
– Betty Gossell
