5 Reasons to Memorize Scripture

What’s the point of memorizing Scripture? We have a few reasons we think it’s beneficial!

Let’s be honest here: I’m really, really bad at memorizing Scripture.

I used to push it off a little, saying things like, “Oh, I’m just not good at that” or “My memory is terrible.” But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve recognized those statements for what they are: excuses. Memorizing Scripture may not come to me naturally, so it’s something I have to work to accomplish. And truth be told, the older I get, having God’s Word stored up in my heart becomes more and more valuable.

When someone you love gets an unexpected diagnosis. When trials come (and they always do). When someone asks for advice. When you want to encourage someone (or yourself) or call out something you see God doing in your life. When you don’t know what to pray or when you simply want to praise God with Scripture. In all of these instances and more, having verses of Scripture memorized is valuable and good.

So, if you’re stuck in the excuse phase like I’ve so often been, what are some reasons we should devote our time to memorizing Scripture?

1. Memorizing Scripture opens our eyes to see the greater nuances of God's character. When we engage deeply with his Word, we learn more about who he is. When we have some understanding of God’s character, we begin to trust him more, we recognize more and more the ways he is moving and working, and we experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7).

2. We’re told to memorize Scripture. OK, so there’s no verse in the Bible that explicitly says, “Memorize Scripture,” but the idea is there. In Col. 3:16, believers are told to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Memorizing and meditating on Scripture is one way to make that happen. In 119:11, the psalmist wrote to God: “I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.” Clearly, knowing God’s Word helps us to know how to live. We can also look to Jesus, who refuted the enemy’s temptations with God’s Word and often quoted Scripture. While it was common for Jewish people to memorize large portions of the Old Testament in Jesus’ day, the practice is one we can emulate.
   

3. Transforms our minds and refocuses us on what's most important. I’m a worrier by nature. I fully recognize that in times of uncertainty or fear, my natural reaction is to worry the thing to death. But sometimes in those pits of despair, a verse of Scripture will come to mind or leap off the page when I’m reading Scripture and reorient my mind and heart to Jesus. Scripture is often the compass God uses to point us back into right relationship with him, to call us back from sin and to reorient us to the values and truths that are most important. Like a hiker who has gotten off the trail, Scripture is the map that leads us home to the heart of God.
   

4. Guards us against temptation and helps us live in obedience. Since we interviewed Blake Stanley of the Proclamation Coalition about the Bible Memory Project, I’ve been using their system to memorize Scripture. Recently, the week’s verse was Psalm 119:9: How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. Over and over, that verse has come to me—when the driver in front of me cut me off, when I was tempted to sink into worry and fear, when various other temptations and opportunities to sin came my way. When we seek to engage with Scripture and memorize it, it can be a helpful weapon against sin and a reminder to live in obedience to God.
   

5. Allows us to comfort and counsel other believers. Just last night, I was sitting around a table with a friend who is walking through a tough season, and as our conversation waxed and waned, I heard my friends again and again point to God’s Word and God’s faithfulness. When we memorize Scripture, the Holy Spirit will bring it to mind as we talk with others. When God’s Word is hidden in our hearts, God can work through us to provide comfort and counsel to his children that’s rooted in Scripture. If you’re anything like me, you need reminding in difficult seasons, when you’re making a big decision, when you’re overcome with worry, or just when your heart has gotten a little off track.

6. Helps us share the gospel. Knowing God’s Word by heart can be a powerful tool when we share the gospel with others. There are plenty of gospel tools that list Scripture passages, such as the Romans Road or the ABCs of salvation. But sometimes, sharing the gospel is simply talking about how God has worked in your life to help you see your need for him. Knowing what the Bible says about salvation—who we are without Christ, what Christ has done to save us and how we can be saved—is a powerful tool in sharing your testimony with others.

Memorizing Scripture isn’t always easy—I’m the first to admit to that. And there are definitely seasons when I pursue it with more passion and desire than others. But I can convinced that hiding God’s Word in my heart where the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind as I walk through life is a valuable “light to my path” I don’t want to live without!