Feeding Your Soul Through Scripture Memorization

June, 2004

by: Lisa Hughes

For many of us, just the idea of memorizing anything fills us with guilt or with dread. I know it has been like that for me. Memorizing Scripture is like flossing! We all like the idea, we know it is good for us, but it seems that only a certain few actually do these important tasks! Memorizing Scriptures was something I did when necessary, to appease my sense of guilt, to gain the benefits of God's Word floating in my head, but soon I would find that my desire to think on God's Word had waned. What was wrong with me? Surely, as someone whose life has been transformed by the Lord I could spend some time memorizing God's Word. Why was I finding it so difficult?

My first step was to gain accountability. Obviously, I wasn't being consistent trying to memorize on my own, so I started having my Bible studies memorize Scripture along with me. And you know, the weekly accountability to have my verses memorized really helped! Who would have thought of that? Knowing that the ladies were working on their verses helped me to be faithful to memorize also.

My next step was to memorize chunks of Scripture instead of isolated verses. I found that just memorizing a verse here and a verse there wasn't working for me. It is easier to memorize paragraphs or chapters of the Bible that way we gain the flow of the chapter and understand the verse in its context. Usually, we choose a chapter or so from the book that we are studying in Bible study to memorize.

Next came the refining steps to my memorization. At first I would memorize the whole book, or several chapters, of what we were studying in Bible study. While there are benefits to this wind tunnel method of memorization, I felt that it was too much. Memorizing God's word should be like having tea in which we can mull over and munch on the dainty morsels of the Bible. Instead I was memorizing so quickly it was like trying to eat soup with a fork. I was retaining some, but not enough. Now, in our weekly Bible study we memorize just one chapter (give or take a few verses) during our Bible study year. This allows us to slowly add a verse a week to our minds and gives plenty of opportunity to review the verses we have learned.

The way people memorize Scriptures is varied. I take my verses along with me when I walk and say them over and over again. Some people make up little songs, but others write out their verses. Other people record their verses and then listen to them until they have them memorized. Why bother memorizing God's Word, especially if you are studying and reading it already, isn't that enough? Actually, no. In order to make progress in your walk with the Lord and battle against sin you need to continually be feeding on His Word and hiding it in your heart. Ps. 119:11 says: “Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You.” Memorizing Scripture also builds discipline in your thinking. Too often, we sin against God by dwelling anxiously on things that we have no power to change or control anyway. By disciplining your mind to dwell on God's word you have a safeguard against sin and bring glory to Him in the process. Even if you don't remember a single verse at the end of a year of working on a whole chapter, the process of disciplining your mind to think on and ponder over God's Word is worth it all.

Deut. 6:6 : “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”

Col. 3:16 : “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”