Psalm 119, through its 176 verses, celebrates the work of Scripture in the life of the believer. In verse 11, the psalmist says “your word I have hidden in my heart” to describe how much of a treasure the Word of God is to him, as well as its intended destination.
As Christians, we need to echo the high regard for the Word of God in this psalm, but also seek to internalize it, to make it work in us towards our sanctification. We hide Scripture in our heart by memorizing it.
Many believe this to be the most important spiritual discipline of all. Charles Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends!”
Why is it so important? And, what are some of those great spiritual benefits? I would like to share with you six biblical reasons for memorizing Scripture regularly.
God commands it
In Deuteronomy 11:18-19, God says, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul…. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” In a similar way, Paul writes to the believers in Colossae to “let the word of Christ dwell in [them] richly” (Col 3:16). God wants us to have his Word at the center of our lives.
Why? Is it because God has narcissistic tendencies? Not at all. The command is given by no means to satisfy some egotistical ambition of God, but for our benefit.
God’s Word guides us
So much of our struggle in life is rooted in making bad decisions. Should I do this or that? We often find ourselves in the dark, but the author of Psalm 119 says God’s Word is “a lamp to [our] feet and a light to [our] path” (vs 105). Scripture is a never-failing compass showing us the way, no matter how lost we may find ourselves at times. It contains the will of God for your life and mine.
God’s Word keeps us from error
Closely related to the previous reason is the need to distinguish between false teaching and truth. Like a villain who seeks to destabilize a nation’s economy by dumping large amounts of counterfeit currency on its market, the devil constantly tries to lead us in error. Jesus revealed the cracks in the faulty logic of the Sadducees, who were trying to prove there is no resurrection, by saying, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures” (Matt 22:29).
Not knowing the Scripture is in fact a sign of spiritual immaturity. Paul admonishes the Ephesians with these words, “we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Eph 4:14).
God’s Word helps to fight temptation
In Psalm 119:11, the psalmist says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Internalizing Scripture helps resisting the devil, especially when we do not hold a Bible before us. Usually, the devil does not attack during Bible Study, or morning devotionals (although sometimes he does even then), but seeks to defeat us when we are most vulnerable. However, if God’s Word is in our heart, we shall be found ready. Nowhere is this more evident than in the temptation of Jesus, who rejected the lures of the devil by quoting Scripture to him.
God’s Word continuously renews the mind
All we do, think, or say begins in the mind. When our minds are saturated with Scripture, our whole thought process improves. Paul writes “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:2) The benefits of memorizing God’s Word should not be viewed in isolation but closely connected to each other. Exercising wisdom in decision making, recognizing error, and fighting temptation are made possible by a renewed mind.
God’s Word enables us to share the gospel in every circumstance
Sometimes we are caught off guard by a colleague’s unexpected question concerning our faith. While we may be able to explain why we believe what we believe, referencing the Bible will significantly reduce the chance for the conversation being just an exchange of opinions between two people. Appealing to the Word of God is our source of authority. Nowadays, we carry a Bible on our phones all the time in the form of an app, and it may seem that relying on God’s Word is assured even in the most unexpected situations coming up with just the right verse will only be possible if we have stockpiled Scripture references in our heart.
Conclusion
These are sufficient reasons for any Christian not to neglect this spiritual discipline. Of course, as the word discipline implies, this will not just happen. Instead, we need a plan which then we will strive to keep. Don’t make the mistake, like me, and think you will succeed without a plan. If you say to yourself that from now on you will seek to do better in this area, chances are that you will do good for a few weeks and then eventually you will stop. Remember, if you aim at nothing you will hit nothing.
Jerry Bridges says, “To memorize Scripture effectively, you must have a plan. The plan should include a selection of well-chosen verses, a practical system for learning those verses, a systematic means of reviewing them to keep them fresh in your memory, and simple rules for continuing Scripture memory on your own.”
With that in mind, I would recommend the Scripture memory system from the Navigators. You can find it here. Whether you use this plan or something else, I want to encourage you to commit to memorizing Scripture.
*Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash