One of the things I love about living in Florida is going to the beach. The smell of the salty air, the sand between your toes, the food from nearby restaurants…food tastes better at the beach! It is relaxing and inspiring to sit on the beach, looking out on God’s creation. As a father of four young children, there is a special joy in seeing my kids experience the wonders of the beach early in their lives.
This is an article about Scripture memory, so what does that have to do with the beach? Imagine standing on the beach and looking out at the waves. How much is the ocean physically impacting you? It is inspiring and beautiful, but it isn’t truly impacting you. Now, imagine if you go out waist deep into the ocean. The ocean is beginning to move you around. Finally, imagine being neck deep in the ocean. Now, the ocean is really having an impact.
The impact God’s Word will have on our lives depends on how deeply we are immersed in it. There is perhaps no greater way to experience that level of involvement with the Word of God than committing key verses and passages to memory.
The Bible is clear that we should strive to meditate on Scripture:
“Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the Law of the Lord,
And on His Law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
Psalm 1:1-3
The one who meditates on the Word will be blessed in all that they do:
- Business pursuits
- Educational pursuits
- Marriage
- Parenting
- Ministry
- Personal Finances
- Relationships
What does it mean to meditate? It means to ponder, to think about deeply, to ruminate on something. Meditation helps move the Word from our head to our hearts. There is a close connection between meditation and memorization. As you engage in the process of memorizing Scripture, the Word can transform your life and character.
Here are six practical reasons why Scripture memory is so important:
1. Scripture Memory Equips Us For The Spiritual Battles We Face In Life
Scripture memory has probably impacted my life more than any other spiritual discipline, and I have found that it is a great tool for discipling college students. There are so many thought patterns and philosophies that are competing for the minds of students. Their minds need to be transformed by the Word of God.
We can use memorized verses to address specific struggles we may be facing. For example, if you are dealing with fear, memorize some key verses on fear, if you are dealing with anger, memorize verses on anger. I have found that it is easier to memorize verses that relate to the battles I am experiencing in life.
In the book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney says,
“Imagine yourself in the midst of a decision and needing guidance, or struggling with a difficult temptation and needing victory. The Holy Spirit enters your mental arsenal and looks around for available weapons, but all He finds is a John 3:16, a Genesis 1:1, and a Great Commission. Those are great swords, but they’re not made for every battle. How do we go about filling our personal spiritual arsenal with a supply of swords for the Holy Spirit to use? When Scripture is stored up in your mind, it is available for the Holy Spirit to bring to your attention when you need it most.”
2. Memorization Brings Transformation
Paul writes in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Paul is saying that we are constantly under pressure to conform to the world’s systems and values. When you have memorized verses stored in your mind, you can live everyday with a more transformed way of thinking. Changing how we think is a key to sanctification.
As God’s people entered the Promised Land, which was occupied by hostile enemies, God essentially gave Joshua two instructions. He says in verses 7 and 9 to be strong and courageous, and He says in verse 8:
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
We see here that the Word equips us for all the challenges we face in life. We also see that when we meditate on God’s Word day and night, we are much more careful to obey it.
“If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.” Dallas Willard
3. God’s Word in Our Hearts Can Help Us Avoid Sin
“How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word….
I have treasured Your word in my heart,
So that I may not sin against You.”
Psalm 119:9, 11
When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus quoted Scripture to respond to these temptations.
He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4
Memorized Scripture gives the Holy Spirit a vocabulary to speak to us. You may be feeling conviction and a prompting by the Holy Spirit in a certain compromising situation. When you have Scripture stored up in your mind, the Holy Spirit can use it to bring clarity to what the Spirit is prompting you to do in that situation.
4. Scripture Memory Equips Us To Be Able To Minister To Others.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Steve Farrar, in the book, Manna, says this:
Jesus used Scripture to explain, rebuke, exhort, comfort and train those around Him. In the Gospel of Matthew alone, we find Jesus directly quoting from the OT seventy-six times. Thirty three of those quotes are from the Pentateuch: three from Genesis, seven from Exodus, six from Leviticus, one from Numbers, and sixteen from Deuteronomy. Nine times Jesus also directly quoted from Psalms and Proverbs. He quoted from all the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel), and from eight of the twelve minor prophets.
5. Memorized Scriptures are a Powerful Tool for Evangelism.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
When you are witnessing, and you don’t know what to say, give people the Word of God. Share verses about the Gospel!
Memorize the verses that go with the Gospel presentation that you are using or learning. For example, The Bridge Illustration is based on Romans 6:23, and The Romans Road illustration is based on Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8 and 10:9. Some of my most powerful moments in evangelism are when I share Jesus’s words instead of my own.
6. Memorizing Scripture Fuels Worship and Devotion
The goal is not to know more verses, but to have more verses know me. By approaching Scripture memory with an attitude of meditation, it helps to keep the process of memorization fresh, rather than allowing it to become a burden. It has become my practice to review my verses every morning along with my daily quiet time. For me, it is a devotional exercise. I review verses with the same anticipation to hear from God as I do when I open my Bible for my quiet time. Some of the biggest decisions in my life were influenced by the Holy Spirit speaking to me through verses I had previously memorized.
So how can you get started with Scripture memory? If you are wondering how to start filling your arsenal with verses, try memorizing the verses God has used to speak to you recently – from sermons, from time in the Word, or even from social media. I put my verses on note cards and review them daily on my own, and weekly with students I am discipling and with an accountability partner. Two of the biggest pitfalls I have seen in Scripture memory are not having accountability with others and not having a plan to review old verses. If the habit of Scripture memory isn’t something you are used to, link it up with something you enjoy. A lady from my church reviews verses every day when she drinks her afternoon coffee!
A great thing about Scripture memory is that it doesn’t have to take much time out of your schedule. I read in an article that the average American spends 45 minutes everyday simply waiting. These moments are a great opportunity to review verses we have memorized, thereby redeeming that time… even at the beach!
Kurt Shiver is the College Minister at North Central Baptist Church in Gainesville, FL. You can follow him on Instagram @kshiver18.
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