Ten Reasons Why I Memorize Scripture

It's easy to get caught up in the "what" and "how" of Scripture memorization, but I never want to lose sight of the "why." 

I'll start with a less-spiritual reason:

• extrinsic motivation (rewards and other people). Knowing that I'm leading a Facebook Scripture Memory group of 300+ people and that the February Check-In post was coming up, I was motivated to get myself into gear and make some progress.  Having an accountability partner will do this, too. For our boys, we reward them with periodic ice cream sundaes as they make progress, and they're currently working toward earning a full scholarship to Scripture Memory Camp (if Covid allows).  Since God's Word does not return empty but accomplishes what He desires (Isaiah 55:11), even if our motives aren't entirely pure, the Holy Spirit is free to move once His Word is in us!

And here are the ten more-spiritual reasons why I memorize Scripture, in no particular order:

1. because He tells me to. He tells us to keep the Book of the Law always on our lips and to meditate on it day and night so that we may be careful to do everything written in it (Joshua 1:8). This verse is often skipped over to go to the more popular "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged..." (Joshua 1:9).  If His "Book of the Law" is going to be always on our lips, we need to have it in us.

2. because I love Him.  One way that I can demonstrate my love for God is to spend time poring over His very words/Word to me. "Oh, how I love Your law. I meditate on it all day long (Psalm 119:97)."      

3. because it is the one offensive weapon in our arsenal. Of all the defensive armor listed in Ephesians 6, "the sword of the Spirit...is the word of God."  If I'm going to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5), I'm going to need to know His Word.  And we are quick to dismiss books like Deuteronomy as less relevant, but Jesus' three rebukes to Satan are all from Deuteronomy.  Jesus took time to memorize Scripture; so should I.   

4. because it allows me to meditate on His Word (Psalm 1:2). When I taught music at a Christian school and we were learning the Seeds of Courage Scripture songs for the spring program, one student commented, "This song keeps getting stuck in my head!" I told her, "That's meditating on Scripture! I'm not going to apologize for that." When we memorize Scripture and mull over the words and repeat them often, we're able to really savor the meaning of the verse.

5. because it prepares me to share with others and pray Scripturally for others. This helps us to "be prepared in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)" and to "equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17)." Many verses are "familiar" to us, but if we have committed them to memory, we will be more likely to share with others.  This is both useful for people who are not yet Christians and for those who are strong or weak in their faith. Of course, we don't want to just slap on a Bible verse, but we do want to think and speak and pray Biblically, which is a natural by-product of memorizing Scripture.

6. because it's a worthy investment. Only two things are eternal - people (1 Corinthians 15:53-55) and God's Word (1 Peter 1:24-25).  These are the only two things worth investing in.

7. because it causes the Word to come alive. It really is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). I've shared a bit of my story how Scripture memory was the catalyst in giving me a love for Scripture. When I started intentionally memorizing verses as an adult several years ago, I wasn't reading my Bible much and definitely not studying it. After six months of memorizing two verses a month, though, the Holy Spirit ignited a fire in me and a passion for His Word that I have not "recovered" from. As I memorize and read and study more, I find myself constantly making connections in Scripture. Every verse reminds me of another verse that gives richness and context to the first.

8. because it gives the Holy Spirit access to convict me. Every morning at our Christian school, we would say the pledge to the Bible, including this part from Psalm 119:11: I will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.  I've shared one of the most convicting verses I've memorized is that love isn't "irritable" (1 Corinthians 13:5). The Holy Spirit will bring this to mind when I am quick to point the finger at someone being irritating, and the finger will point back at me that I am being irritable, and I can instead choose to love.

9. because it renews my mind. Paul exhorts us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2), and I can think of no better way to renew my mind than to have His very words in me, guiding my steps, encouraging me, convicting me, and challenging me.  

10. because I have it when I need it for encouragement or prayers. Yes, we have Google. Yes, we have the Bible app. Nothing can replace having the Word IN me, though, when I need it. I find myself praying, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You (Psalm 56:3)," and "You tell me to ask for wisdom (James 1:5), so I'm asking." I remember roaming the empty aisles of the grocery store before the Covid lockdown last March (which turned out to be my last time in the grocery store!), and on repeat, I sang outloud (because I needed to hear myself), "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea (Psalm 46:1-2)."

Those are my main reasons. Why do you memorize Scripture?

--OFFICIAL FEBRUARY CHECK-IN POST--

300+ of my friends (and friends of friends) are committing to take a step forward in their Scripture memory journey during 2021! This is soooo exciting and an answer to prayer! 

Most of you will be posting in our Facebook group, but if for whatever reason you are not on Facebook, you can also join in by reading these encouragement posts every Sunday afternoon and checking in during the last week of the month. 

To be entered in this month's giveaway ($25 gift card to Kroger or something comparable if there's not one in your area), you need to post a comment in our Facebook group OR on this blog post with the following 2-3 things before midnight February 28th:

1. Scripture memory goal for 2021 (if you haven't already posted this at some point). 

Here's a post on the different types of Scripture memory goals 

and on setting a S.M.A.R.T. Scripture memory goal. 

If you still don't know, I'd suggest the goal of one or two verses per month.

2. What verse(s) you memorized this month. 

3. Verification of your memory work in one of two ways: 

either post a video of your recitation from memory (can be in a separate post)

OR list the name of the person you recited your verse(s) to. 

If you choose the second option, 

please wait to post until you have already done this!

(past tense - I recited..., 

not future tense - I will recite...)