In his wisdom, God has given us certain things to do. They are for our good. They are a conduit for his grace in our lives. 

These are things like prayer, reading the Bible, and the Sacraments. There are more, but these are some of the most commonly referenced.

Today I’d like to share something with you that has been especially powerful and meaningful for me personally: Bible memorization. 

Before you dismiss the idea out-of-hand, hear me out.

First, this practice isn’t about looking righteous to other people. “Oh, gee, you quoted the Bible, look at how holy you are.”

Second, this practice isn’t about words only. If your focus is on information while neglecting transformation, you’re missing the point.

The reason this practice has been so powerful and meaningful to me is because, by God’s grace, it has started to change my thinking. As I often say to the congregation where I pastor, the more you get into God’s Word, the more God’s Word gets into you. Increasingly, biblical passages start coming into your mind when you pray, and when you are making a decision, and when someone asks you for advice, and when you are lying in bed.

Psalm 119:11 says: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” The author has stored up God’s word in his heart like someone who stores up food in the cupboards. When this happens, he is more likely to live by faith because God’s word is in his heart.

It doesn’t have to be intimidating. Find a key passage and work through it, one verse per day. Then, after you have it, keep reviewing it every day to ensure it sticks. When done prayerfully, this will help you to think, speak and act in a way that is more consistent with the God of grace and truth. 

The more you get into God’s Word, the more God’s Word gets into you.

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Notes:

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.