“Your word I have treasured in my heart . . .” (Ps. 119:11 NASB).

Ever since a good friend pointed me to a Bible-memorization app for my phone last year, I have been rediscovering the challenge and joy of committing Bible passages to heart. Recently we found a way of sharing this powerful spiritual discipline with the churches here in our corner of Benin.

People in our churches love books, but few have extra money to invest in them. I have been looking around for all the Adventist books in French I can find, and I have been building up a stockpile. At first I gave many books away, but then I had new inspiration—I would sell them. The price I ask for the books isn’t money, it’s memorizing Bible passages.

At first I was afraid that few people would make use of the memorizing-for-books program, but I was very wrong! The first day after I announced the program in church, a young man was in my office, flawlessly reciting Ephesians 6:10-18. Since that day, 14 others have come to me to recite verses they have memorized, and by the time you read this, I will have sold well over 50 books this way.

My most frequent customer so far is a young lady named Rosette Idah. One day she commented to her mother, “I am not memorizing for Jason; I am memorizing for me. He doesn’t get anything from what I memorize, but it is a benefit to me. And now I have books worth far more money than I could have earned in years! I will keep these books for the rest of my life.”

The program has been so popular that some titles have sold out, and I have added several more titles, including a selection of expensive, nicely-bound Bibles.

Here in Benin, “The word of the Lord is living and active . . .” (Heb. 4:12 NASB). Praise Jesus for His precious Word!

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