The Importance of Review

For me, one of the most exciting parts of Scripture memorization has always been the sense of accomplishment I feel after reciting a new chapter or set of verses for the first time. There's something special about knowing days or even weeks of hard work have finally paid off, which seems to be very much in line with Solomon's observation as recorded in Ecclesiastes 5:18,

Although this passage is generally applied to the rewards of physical employment, I don't think it is any less applicable to spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith. Those who are faithful in their commitment to God's Word should enjoy the rewards of memorizing new verses, which we know includes "great peace", joy and spiritual prosperity (Ps. 119:165; Ps. 119:16; Josh. 1:8). But just as "the lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting", it's easy and often convenient to neglect long-term review of those verses and thus miss out on continued blessing and encouragement. As I mentioned last week, memverse.com is one method of review we highly recommend since it is highly efficient and does most of the organizational work for you. Another option is to create a notebook or binder with all of your memory verses listed, or simply use index cards with the verse text on the front and reference on the back. Have a family member quiz you on random passages once per week, and restudy any verses you may struggle to recall. Some people purposefully review all of their verses every week, while others single out the ones they know especially well and mark them for monthly or even quarterly review. The most important part is that you be creative and develop a customized review system that best suits your learning style. What about you? Do you regularly review verses you've previously memorized? If so, what methods or resources do you tend to utilize most? Please comment below with any tips, tricks or suggestions that you think may be worth sharing.