I still remember the first Bible verses I memorized decades ago. I was a young believer saved out of a non-Christian home, and the Bible was new, fresh, and alive to me then. To be honest, though, I often still need to remember why memorization matters:
- The Bible is the Word of God. I’ve been with people of the world who have little access to this Word. Should not we who often have more Bibles in our homes than people want to know God’s Word so well that it dwells in our hearts?
- Jesus modeled for us the power of knowing the Word. Satan tempted Jesus – and three times Jesus countered him with the book of Deuteronomy. Jesus showed us that the Word – all of it – has power over the devil.
- Memorizing verses we encounter in our quiet time brings life to that time. I love it when the Spirit uses a verse so powerfully in my life and study that I want to memorize it
- Hiding the Word in our heart helps us to avoid sin. That’s what the psalmist told us in Psalm 19:11 and 119:9-11. We fight sin by treasuring God’s Word.
- Memorizing scripture today can help prepare us for tomorrow’s battles. Years ago, I started memorizing scripture using a prescribed list of verses. I didn’t even understand all of them then – but I’ve been amazed by how often I’ve turned back to those verses through the years.
