Scripture Pictures

Scripture Pictures during family devotions

Recently our son-in-law taught us how to memorize scripture using a technique his grandfather taught him: Scripture Pictures.

You take a piece of paper or a notebook and a pencil, choose a verse you want to memorize, then draw stick figures and other symbols to illustrate the verse.

Be encouraged, you don't have to be an artist to do this! Although your art skills will likely improve with consistent exercise.

I've been playing around with this technique during my continued study of "the fear of the Lord" in the book of Proverbs. What I'm discovering is that my mind often gravitates to an image I want to portray on paper. For example, for me I visualize God as light, so my symbol for God or LORD is a circle (never-ending light, love, purity, holiness, acceptance, etc.) with rays emanating from the circle. The rays are my reflection of the Holy Spirit drawing me in. One ray is a cross, symbolizing Jesus and His grace.

Another person might portray God as a triangle with each point representing one person of the Trinity. In other words, you seize upon the image that best reflects that concept in your mind, so that you can more easily memorize the verse, in most cases without even trying. There's just something about the brain, eye, hand coordination that helps us process and digest information.

In my experimenting, I'm also discovering that I'm coming up with certain symbols for repetitive words and concepts. Each person can devise his/her own catalog of symbols that best aid memory. For example, I use an equal sign to represent the word "is". The "fear of the Lord" is consistently represented by a stick figure bowing with arms lifted toward the Sunlight.

Below is an example of my effort for Proverbs 1:7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

In some cases (perhaps many), others would not make out my symbols. That's okay. The important thing is that I know what they represent, so that the image sparks the memory of the word(s).

 Here are a few more of my efforts. My goal is to do one verse at least 2 - 3 days a week. I've reserved a special notebook just for my Scripture Pictures.

Not only can this scripture memory tool be used as an individual, but also during family devotional times and in other small group settings, where participants can share illustration ideas with each other to help capture the best reflection of the verse.

Just for fun, I close this post with Proverbs 17:6a: Grandchildren are the crown of old men (and old women, too)!  :)

Happy drawing with eternal impact!

Eileen