How are you at memorization? Our minds have more capacity than we realize, by some estimations we only use a fraction of our brain’s storage space. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and yet some people wonder, “Why bother?” when information is accessible instantly in your pocket or purse at the touch of a button these days.

But we tend to remember things we care about or are useful to us. Whether sports trivia, or a website address, we intentionally remember things that we deem important. So how are you at memorizing Scripture? As a child, I memorized hundreds of verses, using the King James Version in those days. Okay, I admit I did so to win prizes in Sunday School or some other church program of the day. But those verses have proven valuable to me, like Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

So how would you like to memorize half of a chapter of the Bible—one that contains 26 verses. It is easier than you think once you realize the chapter is Psalm 136. Every other verse of the chapter goes like this, “For His mercy endures forever.” Technically, that equals 13 verses that you can commit to memory by memorizing five simple words:

FOR:  To be in agreement with, a positive influence, on your side.

HIS: Possessive pronoun – spoken about God – you are His most valuable possession.

MERCY: The opposite of condemnation. To receive mercy is an unexpected and undeserved pardon or blessing.

ENDURES:  Patient, ongoing, alert and compensating for the faults and shortcomings of others.

FOREVER: Eternity, unlimited time with no end in sight, beyond our human capacity to understand.

So if you could learn 13 verses, five words, in five minutes, what could you remember if you really put your heart and mind to it? Don’t give up, “For His mercy endures forever.”