Image by @wholeheartedquiettime

In her darkest moment, Silvia cried out to God asking for a verse—any verse—to bring her comfort in her suffering.

He responded with a whispered Love your enemies.

At first, Silvia resisted, hoping for an encouraging promise or a psalm; but when none came, she resolved to obey the Spirit’s prompting. The next morning, she cheerfully greeted the prison guard who had mistreated her just the day before.

And the most incredible thing happened!

As soon as she obeyed the prompt to love her enemy, in the very next moment, God graciously released all the verses she had stored up in her mind, starting with Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. [..] Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

​Silvia writes in her memoir:

"My memory was back! I clasped my hands together! I could clearly remember everything! I was free! Oh, I cannot tell in words the freedom that came over my soul. I was no longer in prison! My spirit was free in Christ! […]

I could not stop praising God, and I could not stop quoting verses. Songs came back. I laughed and cried. I had to keep on working, but I could not keep from singing. ‘There’s no other friend like Jesus,’ I sang. I could not keep silent. A well of joy was flowing from me.”

Image by @wholeheartedquiettime

As Silvia served the rest of her prison sentence, the treasured Scriptures that she'd memorized all those years before brought her comfort, courage, and peace, until the day she was finally released.

Silvia spent the rest of her life touring the globe, raising awareness for the persecuted church and talking about God's love to whoever would listen. Her blue eyes sparkled whenever she spoke of her friend Jesus, up until the day she went to be with Him in 2013.

​Corrie ten Boom, who had also been imprisoned for her faith and obedience to Jesus said this: “Gather the riches of God’s promises. Nobody can take away from you those texts from the Bible which you have learned by heart.”

Silvia's story has inspired me over the years to continue hiding God's Word in my heart, not out of fear of future persecution, but as a way to cherish the treasure we hold in our hands.

I shared about Scripture memorization in last week's email, and I felt so strongly about the devotional, that I turned it into a video to make it easy to rewatch and share with your friends too.

Because sadly, our generation has unlimited access to the Word of God at our fingertips—and for all that, we're living in the most biblically illiterate generation since the Reformation.

But wait! If your Bible’s collecting dust on a shelf, Silvia would be the first to tell you: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:1). Instead, God’s compassionate Spirit convicts us to turn toward Him in repentance, that He may stir up our hearts and restore our joy.

So don't let guilt or shame turn you away. Instead, I hope you're inspired, like I am, to pick up your Bible and meditate on God's truth today. Set aside a few minutes each day this week to memorize a verse, or pray through a passage, or study a chapter.

Whatever you do, don't just click away from this email and do nothing. Listen to God's gentle voice prompting you to come and find your soul's delight in Him.

​He's waiting for you.