Like having a cell phone within reach and ready to use at an instant, I put memorized Bible verses in my brain for immediate use. God’s Word is precious to me. I want to have access to His thoughts at any given moment. People ask me why I have been memorizing scripture for so many years. There are several reasons why it is crucial to me.
- Our heavenly Father admonishes me to hide His Word in my heart.
In the words of the Bible, God tells us to spend time meditating on His Word. “This Book of the Law must be ever on your lips; you must keep it in mind day and night so that you may diligently observe all that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8, NEB). I take this as a command, not merely a suggestion.
As we read in the Psalms, we see that King David took God’s Word seriously. He said, “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119: 11, KJV). I cannot think of a better way to spend allotted time than hiding God’s Word in my heart. I always find time to do this. After all, aren’t we asked to be diligent?
- To bring comfort to others.
My best friend in childhood was Delores. For the eight years of grade school, we were very close. But after graduation, we attended different highschools. A Christmas card would arrive in the mail over the next twenty years, but nothing more.
When a letter came from Delores, I was saddened when she told me she had suffered from severe depression for years. Comforting verses I had memorized came to mind. In a letter, I included a verse from the Psalms: “O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise Him for His wondrous help; He will make me smile again, for He is my God!” (Psalm 43:5, LB).
In the many letters between us that would follow, I always wrote a comforting verse. She later said that she read them over and over.
Months after we began to correspond, a blood clot formed in her leg and lodged in her heart. I would miss her, but had the wonderful memories of our childhood.
Two months passed and I received a phone call from her husband. He said that he was cleaning out Delores’ things from her closet and bedside table and found that she had saved all my letters. “They must have meant a lot to her,” he said.
It was God’s Word that made her save those letters. I know that now. If I had not memorized those verses, I would not have written them. She did have the comfort of them, however, during the last few months of her life.
- It gives comfort in witnessing.
On an airline trip, I sat next to a young woman who wanted to talk. She told me about living with her boyfriend. I asked her, “What do you think about that?”
“Oh I think it’s wonderful to know you can get along before marriage,” she said.
After a long pause, she asked, “What do you think about it?”
“I hate it because God hates it.” I answered.
“How do you know God hates it?”
“Because it says so in the Bible.”
“I read the whole Bible and there is no place where it says you can’t live together,” she retorted.
I pointed out to her that the Bible does say a lot about it; whenever you see the word “fornication.” Her mouth dropped open as if I’d told her she had cancer. “Read about it in the book of Ephesians,” I suggested. “It’s in chapter five.”
The young lady had many more questions after that; and by the time we landed, she affirmed that she was going to “get right with God.”
- Teaching others.
If you teach a Sunday school class, memorizing verses helps answer student’s questions without having to take time to look them up. For instance, if your pupil asks, “Where in the Bible does it say I shouldn’t smoke?” You can say that the Living Bible says it this way, “I can do anything I want if Christ has not said no. But some things are not good for me. Even if I am allowed to do them, I will refuse to if it gets such a grip on me that I cannot easily stop when I want to” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Memorizing answers saves time and keeps the attention of the pupil.
There are many ways I find time to memorize. I wait in a doctor’s office and in long lines to make purchases. I can use the driving time in the car on many occasions. For many years, I used the time under the dryer at the beauty shop. In 30 minutes, I can review fifteen verses. Diligence always finds time.
It is exciting to know the promise God give us as a reward if we memorize scripture. “… Then you will prosper and be successful in all you do” (Joshua 1:8b, NEV). What a promise! How can I not take seriously the hiding of God’s word in my heart?
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