There are several good reasons to memorize Bible verses, directly and positively impacting our daily lives.
The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Memorizing Bible Verses Requires Planning
Part of the discipline of reading, studying, and applying the Bible to our lives includes becoming so familiar with it that we can recall it as needed.
There are many possible strategies for memorizing scripture, but it does require a purposeful strategy.
Giving yourself a time frame for completion, goals for volume, a means to select what to memorize, and dedicated time set aside to do the work are all part of it.
These are all choices you have freedom to tailor to your situation. But unless you make some decisions towards a plan, you are unlikely to spontaneously memorize Bible verses.
4 Good Reasons to Memorize Bible Verses
By way of encouragement, here are 4 good reasons to memorize Bible verses.
When We Memorize Bible Verses it Gives Us Guidance
Memorizing Bible verses provides us guidance for living.
Out of 1,189 Chapters and 31103 verses, the Bible has both direct guidance and guiding principles for our lives.
The Psalmist tells us, in praising God, that “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105).
Whether it is an area of struggle you are trying to gain control over, an attitude you are trying to adopt, or an aspect of Christ you wish to better emulate, committing bible verses to memory in your area of interest will empower you to walk that path.
As we commit the Bible to memory, we are allowing it to teach, correct, and train us (2 Timothy 3:16-17) in the way we should go.
When We Memorize Bible Verses it Helps Us Resist Sinning
Memorizing Bible verses gives us a means to ward off temptation and sin.
Reading the Bible and thinking about it are good things to do, but its power for warding of sin in our lives comes from planting it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).
An effective strategy for dealing with temptation to sin is to recall Bible verses that directly speak to the sin you are being tempted in. Few things will throw more cold water on the desire to sin than dwelling on God’s holy word.
Recall that the armor of God described in Ephesians 6 describes the word of God as the “sword of the spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). It is the only offensive weapon mentioned.
Even Jesus used Bible verses when resisting Satan’s temptations in the Wilderness.
When We Memorize Bible Verses it Gives Us Deep Insight into Our Lives
The more we memorize Bible verses, the deeper understanding we have of ourselves.
Even though the Bible was written thousands of years ago, it still has relevance for our lives today. As we apply it to our lives, we will gain greater insight into our desires, motives, strengths and weaknesses.
The writer of Hebrews gives us a very descriptive understanding of the depths to which God’s word penetrates our lives:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
A few things worth noting:
God’s word is “living” and “active”. It may have been written a long time ago, but it is far from archaic. Every generation finds enrichment through immersion in God’s word.
In stating together that the word goes to the depths of soul and spirit as well as joints and marrow, this verse paints a very vivid, graphic picture as to the effectiveness of the Bible in getting to our very hearts.
It is painful imagery, and matches the agony we sometimes experience when we are sharply convicted by God’s word.
God’s word helps us “discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. In other places the Bible tells us how hard it is to know a man’s heart because of its deceitfulness (Jeremiah 17:9). This verse in Hebrews appears to provide a remedy, a holy mirror in which to examine our thoughts and motives.
Our Lives are Blessed When We Memorize Bible Verses
As if the spiritual benefits were not enough, the Bible tells us when we take time to plant God’s word in our hearts, we will reap rewards in our lives here on earth.
When we take God’s word deep inside of us and apply it to our lives, the Bible says our ways will be “prosperous” and we will “have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
When we delight in God’s word, the Bible says we will prosper in all that we do (Psalm 1:1-3).
Why is that? Because God desires to give good things to His children? Most certainly. But even more than that, when we are that immersed in God’s word, when we make Him the priority in our lives, we are less likely to misuse or dishonor material blessings.
Think of Job. He had incredible wealth and prosperity, but we only learn that after hearing that he was blameless, and a man of great integrity (Job 1:1-3). He also lost all his wealth in a day and, in spite of that, continued to worship God.
Can you think of any other good reasons for memorizing Bible verses?
More Bible verses about applying God’s word to our lives:
Psalm 19:7-8; Isaiah 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 24:35; Acts 20:32; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; James 1:22
