Taking the Word to Heart

By Nancy Taylor

More than a decade ago, Nancy Taylor made a commitment to memorize one verse of scripture a week for 52 weeks, with the goal of quoting all 52 verses at the conclusion of that year.  Never could she have conceived what God had in store for her through this simple commitment to hide His Word in her heart. 

In addition to allowing her to experience a deeper, more intimate relationship with Christ, memorizing scripture has provided Nancy with many opportunities to minister to those who are weary or brokenhearted.

Taking the Word to Heart guides readers through five essential, yet practical, steps to not only memorizing scripture, but to grip it tightly enough to cause life transformation. Readers will discover that the purpose of memorizing scripture is not for discipline sake only, but for gaining a greater knowledge of God, developing an obedient heart and a life of trust in God through practically living out the hidden Word. 

If you are tired of living a defeated Christian life, Taking the Word to Heart will help you grow in your relationship with God, better understand the Bible and learn how to apply it practically to your life. 

Excerpt from the first chapter, "Getting to know God and His Word"

My journey from defeat to delight began when the Lord showed me that the only weapon I had in my quest to live a victorious life was the memorized Word of God.   I was in a Bible study that dealt with tearing down strongholds. The biggest stronghold in my life was my thought life.  My mind had continued to cycle back into negative and destructive thoughts that kept me from experiencing the life God had planned for me.  Once aware of my stronghold, I made an unwavering commitment to store up the weapon of the Word so that I would have an ample supply of ammunition against the enemy of my thought life!  I made a commitment to memorize one verse a week for 52 weeks, with the goal of quoting all 52 verses at the conclusion of that year.  Never could I have conceived what God had in store for me through this simple commitment to hide His Word in my heart.  My knowledge of God increased and along with this knowledge, my heart was filled with the love for God that Deuteronomy 6:5 speaks of, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”   What began as a commitment to do something for myself became all about what God wanted to do in me through His hidden Word. 

He not only transformed my way of thinking, but also taught me how to delight in His truth when faced with daily inconveniences and even when life brought overwhelming circumstances.   I learned the truth of Luke 6:45, “…for His mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” In the English dictionary you will find that delight means to give great joy or pleasure to; to be highly pleased, rejoice.  However, in Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, there are several words that are translated as delight which have richer meaning.  One such word, chapets, is found in Psalm 1:2,  “His delight is in the law of the Lord,” means a valuable thing.   One who places great value in God’s Word experiences delight.  Further found in scripture the word, chapats, in Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart,” (NAS) refers to one being inclined to or to bend. In Psalm 37:4 the familiar exhortation to “delight yourself in the Lord” is translated from the Hebrew word anag, meaning to be soft or pliable.  To tie these meanings and verses together we come to the conclusion that when one delights himself in the Lord and in His Word, he is valuing God’s Word in such a way that he is inclined to have a pliable heart and mind to the things of God.

We trust in what we delight in and if we delight in whining and complaining, then that is what comes out of our mouths the minute we find ourselves in a difficult situation.  I am learning to delight in His Word and have been amazed at the truth that flows from my mouth whenever I find myself in a stressful or overwhelming circumstance.  Jesus instructs us to listen to what He says and not to our natural inclinations in Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  That is not natural, but spiritual.  It is having a soft heart and opened mind to listen to God’s Word above your own thoughts.  My mind was more attuned and my heart more moldable to the voice of Christ rather than my own, self-focused thoughts. 

A former school teacher, Nancy Taylor directed the leadership training of a Christian weight-loss ministry and co-directed a discipleship training summer program with her husband under the ministry of International Evangelism Association.  Nancy began memorizing scripture consistently more than a decade ago and has a passion for teaching others what she has learned through the experience.  She teaches a practical five-step method of getting a grip on God’s Word through seminars, classes and workshops.  Nancy received a B.S. degree in education from Texas A & M U n i v e r sity.  She currently resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband, William, who serves as the mission’s pastor at Houston’s First Baptist C h urch.  They are the proud parents of two grown children, Will and Sarah.