By: Pastor Steve Wilmot
Edgerton, Ohio
How many verses of Scripture have you memorized? Scripture memorization is one of the best practices for spiritual growth and preparation for life you’ll ever find.
When you commit verses of the Bible to memory, the Holy Spirit can call those verses to mind when someone comes to you with a problem, they want your advice on. How much better to share God’s advice with them, don’t you think?
You’ve faced difficult situations (and you will again) when you don’t know what to do. You didn’t want to make matters worse by doing the wrong thing.
It’s so much better when a verse of Scripture pops into your mind that guides you to the best response to that difficult situation. But you can’t draw on this resource unless God’s Word is circulating through your memory banks.
Memorizing Scripture is like building a file in your brain. The Holy Spirit can flip through it and find the right word from God in the moment you need it. For yourself or for others.
Here are five reasons you should begin today to memorize Scripture. One, God commands you to memorize Scripture. “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds” (Deuteronomy 11.18).
One of the biggest reasons (excuses?) for not memorizing Scripture is “I can’t memorize.” Grasp this truth: God never asks you to do something you can’t do. If he asks you to memorize his Word, you can do it.
He will help. It’s more a question of desire than ability. Need rather than IQ. Sure, some people can memorize easier than others, but anyone who wants to can.
Obedience to God is the only reason we need to memorize Scripture, but there are others. Two, Jesus memorized Scripture.
You won’t have to read many pages into the Gospels before you discover this. In Matthew 4, Jesus quotes three verses. In his most famous sermon, Jesus frequently quotes Scripture from memory.
You want to be like Jesus? Memorize Scripture. Three, when you commit Scripture to memory, it transforms your world view.
Your world view is how you see things, what you believe, how you’ve concluded life works. It determines how you live and how you respond to God and others. It controls your priorities and decisions. Depending on your world view your future is limited or expanded.
For example, your perspective of God makes an enormous difference. If you believe you’re on your own, you’ll respond to life far differently than if you know you have a loving God on your side. An all-powerful God who is with you always and is actively involved in your life.
The best way to develop a biblical world view is to memorize Scripture. Paul wrote, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12.2).
Todd Agnew, a Christian recording artist, testified to the value of Scripture memory in his life. “When you place the Word of God in your heart, he is faithful to place it in your life. By me putting it in my heart, God was able to stir it into my life all day long.”
You can’t always carry your Bible with you. Even if you could, you can’t read it non-stop. But if there are portions of it hidden in your heart and mind, God can “stir into your life all day long.” What a blessing! What a powerful thing!
Four, memorizing Scripture will help you resist temptation. “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I will not sin against you” (Psalm 119.11).
Jesus endured a 40-day barrage of temptations in the desert right after his baptism (Matthew 4.3-11). In each instance, he repelled the attack with “It is written” followed by a verse from God’s Word.
He didn’t have a Bible tucked under his arm to flip through to find a verse to counter Satan’s lie. There wasn’t time. Good thing he had it hidden in his heart for immediate use.
Are you armed and ready for your next temptation? Or are you walking into it blind and defenseless?
Five, memorizing Scripture gives God more ways he can use you to be his hands and feet. When you pray God’s will, he promises to answer your prayers.
How do you know his will? The Bible reveals it. Imagine how God can use you in praying for others because you know his will. You can also pronounce a word of blessing over someone with it.
The Holy Spirit will go through the file of verses you’ve memorized and locate the perfect advice to offer a friend in need. He’ll do the same when you want to comfort or encourage someone.
But when the Holy Spirit flips through your mental file folders to retrieve Scripture to use to help you or to help you help others it will be empty if you haven’t memorized any verses to be at his disposal.
I pray I’ve convinced you to hide God’s Word in your heart. When you do, God will use it powerfully in your life.
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Steve Wilmot is a former Edgerton, Ohio area pastor who now seeks “to still bear fruit in old age” through writing. He is the author of seven books designed to assist believers to make steady progress on their spiritual journey.