Bible Nuggets

Memorizing the Word of God

The word of God is the greatest book ever written.  If there has ever been anything written that is worth memorizing, this is it.  Yet many of us, myself included, do not spend the time or effort needed to memorize much more than a few "favorite" verses of this precious book.  We must begin t see that God has told us to commit the things in His word to memory (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). We must also see that there are MANY benefits to memorizing the Word of God.

Are we supposed to memorize the Word of God?

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - "Hear, O Isreal: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Wow.  That is pretty clear, I should think.  But let's take an even closer look.

The Hebrew word for "heart" in verse 6 is "Lebab" which means "inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding."  This verse certainly has a deeper meaning than simply reading the written words.

The Hebrew word for "Impress" in verse 7 is the word "Shanan" which means, "to sharpen, whet."  We are not merely to present knowledge to our children, according to this verse, but we are to sharpen their knowledge of the Word, which is a continual process.

Then look at all the other things we are supposed to do with the commands of God.  Talk about them at home or on the road.  Keep them at your fingertips and right before your eyes at all times.  Let them stand guard at the door of your house and the gate of your city.  This is obviously speaking of far more than reading the word of God - it is speaking of truely memorizing the word and allowing it to settle into our spirits and into our lives.

What are the benefits of memorizing the Word of God?

Let's examine but a few of the scriptural benefits that I have found that result from memorizing God's Word.

1. Memorizing God's Word helps me to live without sin.

   Psalm 119:11 - "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

    

2. Memorizing God's Word comforts me in times of affliction.

   Psalm 119:49-52 - "Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your Word has given me life.  The proud have me in great derision, yet I do not turn aside from Your law.  I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, and have comforted myself."

    

3. Memorizing God's Word gives me continual guidance in daily living.

   Proverbs 6:20-22 - "My son, keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother.  Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck.  When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you."

    

4. Memorizing God's Word helps me to overcome temptation.

   Luke 4:1-13 - This section of scripture describes the temptations of Jesus.  He rebuffed each temptation, not by proposing several good arguments why He should not do those things, but simply by quoting from the Word of God, which was in His heart.

    

5. Memorizing God's Word puts the "Sword of the Spirit" at my disposal at all times.

   Ephesians 6:17 - "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." 

   In real life, you cannot always have the Bible with you.  There are times, such as when you are driving, or when you are taking a shower, when it is impractical, if not impossible, to have your Bible with you.  It is in those times when the memorized scripture becomes vitally important.  Also, there may be times when you will share the gospel unexpectedly, and being able to confidently quote the scriptures at those times is important.

    

6. Memorizing God's Word makes it possible to meditate on it.

   Without memorizing His Word, we simply cannot meditate on it, since we would have to READ it to THINK about it, instead of just THINKING about it.

    

 Important things to remember about memorizing God's Word.

1. What translation should you use?

   It does not really matter what version of the Bible you memorize, but trying to remain consistent may be easier at first.  Pick your "favorite" translation and begin there.  Later on, memorizing several different translations of a few verses may be useful in gaining insight into some verses as you meditate on them.

    

2. Memorize the verses word-for-word.

   Whatever translation you memorize, be sure to memorize the scripture word-for-word.  The importance of this can be seen in Genesis 2:17 and Genesis 3:3.  When God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, He specifically said "...shall not eat."  When the serpent asked Eve if God told them not to eat from any trees in the garden, Eve responded by saying, about the tree of knowledge of good and evil, "God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' "

   Did you catch the difference?  In attempting to quote from God, she did not have His word correct.  God never said anything about touching the fruit.  Only eating the fruit was forbidden.  In verse 6 of Genesis 3, she may have thought God was wrong when she touched the fruit and nothing happened.  So she went one step further, eating the fruit and the rest is, as they say, history.

    

3. Do not take verses out of context.

   Taking verses out of context is always a bad idea, but it is especially important to guard against this when memorizing scripture, since you will be recalling the words without even a chance of seeing the proper context.  For example, James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  However, this is only true when preceded by the words, "Therefore submit to God."

    

Practical help in memorizing the Word of God

1. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

   Don't attempt to memorize large sections of scripture right off the bat.  It would be better to start with one or two small scriptures each week.  After a while, you will find that it will become easier and easier to memorize increasingly large passages.  Some people have memorized chapters and even whole books of the Bible!

    

2. Memorize the reference, too!

   Memorize the scripture reference along with the text, so that you will always know where to find it when you need to.

    

3. Chose scriptures that are relevant to your present situation.

   If you are battling worry in your life, perhaps you might try memorizing Philippians 4:6-7.  If you are struggling with temptation, 1 Corinthians 10:13 might be a good choice to start with.  Find verses that will help you in the day-to-day struggles you presently find yourself in.

    

4. Look for creative ways to test your memory.

   You can use flash cards or other games with family and/or friends, so that you don't get bored.  There are even some computer programs that can help.  However, you shouldn't expect this to entertain you.  It is something that takes effort on your part to accomplish.  It will not be easy, bu the benefits far outweigh the effort expended.

    

Conclusion

Anyone can memorize the scriptures.  Many people say that they cannot memorize scripture, yet play their favorite song, and they know the words by heart.  People would be amazed if they could realize how many things we memorize on a daily basis; names, phone numbers, song lyrics, etc.   It may take some hard work, but EVERYONE can memorize scriptures.

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