This week, we are going to discuss Bible memorization as a way to get the Bible into your heart and life. As Psalm 119: 9-11 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
When you memorize verses and whole chunks of the Bible, you are tucking away those words into the recesses of your heart and mind. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit comes alongside of us as an encourager and helper through our lives to speak to us what we need to hear. When we have the Bible—the Word of God— deep in our hearts and memories, there is much more for the Holy Spirit to use to speak to us that will resonate in our inner selves. We are better able to test the words we hear and the thoughts we think, the words we say, and the actions we do, when we have tucked into our minds the words of the Bible, especially the words of Jesus in the gospels and the rest of the New Testament. We also are better able to speak those words to others in the right time and way when we have immersed our minds in Jesus’ words through memorization.
Verse memorization doesn’t have to be overwhelming or difficult. Start with one verse that means a lot to you or that speaks to you in a personal application. Write it down on a 3 x 5 or smaller card and carry it with you. Tape it to the bathroom mirror and look at it while you brush your teeth. Say it to yourself when you are walking into your work and over to yourself at points during the day. Always include the verse’s “address” (the book, chapter, and verse where it can be found). A growing knowledge of where to find a verse in the Bible is very useful when sharing with others or just finding the verse again. Remember to go over verses from previous memory sessions regularly so that you don’t forget them.
In the WWJD? Facebook page, the verses are shown not with pretty pictures behind them but rather with a plain blue background so that our focus is the words and nothing else. You could use your phone instead of 3 x 5 cards by taking a screen shot of verses from this page and keeping them handy to go over during your day. Whatever works for you, do that!
It is totally better to start small and be consistent, instead of biting off too much at once and then giving up. Just pick one verse, write it down, say it to yourself, and go from there!
