We’ve all heard the famous verse in Psalm 119: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” From that, our youth pastors and Sunday School teachers told us that we should memorize Scripture. But then they never really help you out or show you where you might start. We say we want to learn Scripture, but then we never do, why? Because it’s hard and time-consuming. But, there are serious benefits to taking the time to learn it.
First of all, what the author said in Psalm 119 is absolutely right (it is the Bible of course). However, we have to have an understanding of why Scripture helps us to avoid temptation and sin for it to have real meaning to us. The best example is Jesus Himself. Jesus was big on using Scripture to His advantage. That doesn’t mean He twisted it to mean whatever He wanted it to mean; it just means that He used it as a testimony to what was true. When Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted, He combated temptation by using Scripture, not by using His own words or opinions. That’s a little complicated because He is God in the flesh, but He was modeling for us how we should respond to temptation: not with our own thoughts or ideas, but with God’s solid truth. We can be coerced and manipulated, just like Eve in the Garden. But when we respond with God’s Word and do not turn away from it, we can have something solid to stand on.
Also, Scripture learning deepens our personal walk with Jesus. In my experience, it gives me pride when I can recall a Bible verse or passage from memory. It shows me that what I’m reading and wrestling with is sticking, even if it’s just a little bit. It makes me feel like I’ve actually accomplished something in my Bible reading. More than anything, it proves to me that God is still working in my heart and my life. I’ve never had a hard time memorizing things for school, but Bible reading is difficult. I can’t gauge my faith off of how much I know because that’s not what it’s about, but it is a good reminder when I see the fruit of study.
It helps me to appreciate God’s Word even more. Even just trying to memorize Scripture or a few Bible verses, makes me realize how complex and beautiful God’s Word is. And once I do get a verse memorized, it makes me feel more connected to it. It’s one thing to read it on paper, but it’s much more to know it by heart. I begin understanding and applying it better when I know it word for word and can go back to it anytime and any place. That allows me to meditate on it more in depth than just a general overview of a chapter or book.
Finally, it is practical. We shouldn’t just memorize Scripture to keep it to ourselves. We live in a world that badly needs truth and hope, and that is found in God’s Word. We can answer hard questions. We can give encouragement. We can give comfort. And all of it will come from God Himself when it’s His words and not ours. That’s the beauty of it. Sometimes it’s apologetic work and other times it’s just a bit of encouragement, but it’s always useful. That becomes more and more apparent the more you have memorized.
It’s important to know that Scripture memorization is very difficult and tedious at times. It’s a battle. It involves a lot of repetition and can be very time-consuming. No one is perfect at it. I’m not good at it either. But I want to do better and strive to commit as much as I can because it is helpful, useful, and meaningful. If our speech is the outpouring of our hearts, then we should want nothing more than to fill our hearts with God's Word. Then, we can speak His truth and not our own. That is when we are most effective. And once you start, I think you will find, as I have, that it is well worth the time and effort.
