Treasured in My Heart

Recently, my son and I had lunch at his favorite fast-food restaurant.  While we were chowing down, I could not help but notice the music in the restaurant’s speakers.  It was like a playlist of my childhood from the late 80’s and early 90’s.  My son gazed at me in both wonder and sometimes horror, depending on the song, because no matter what song was next, I could sing along word-for-word.  More remarkably, most of these songs I have not thought much about or listened to for decades; some of them I never even liked when they were popular, but I had heard them on the radio whether I wanted to or not.  All the same, I remembered them very well.  In addition to song lyrics, I can also quote lines from my favorite movies and books, as well as jokes I think are very funny.

While these songs and quotes might have been a fun trip down memory lane, all I could think about was how much better it would have been if I had spent more time devoted to memorizing Scripture.  While I have worked on memorizing Scripture as an adult and can reference verses better than I ever could have previously, I would love to be like some of my fellow believers who seem to be able to pull out many relevant verses and quote them exactly.

We know God’s Word is important.  Without His Word, we would have no idea Who we worship or why.  God has given us His Word to help us make sense of the world we live in and to bring us into relationship with Him.  His Word gives us the truth about ourselves, history, the world, the natural order, His character and attributes, why we need a Savior, and how we ought to conduct ourselves to glorify Him.  Biblical prophecy that has been fulfilled proves that His Word is true and good, and prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled helps us understand what is coming.  In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we learn, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  All of this helps us understand why it is beneficial to open the Bible and study it.

But what about memorizing His Word?  Why is that important?  The first verses that come to my mind are found in the Psalms.  Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You,” and Psalm 37:30-31 explains, “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.  The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.”  From this, we can understand that treasuring Scripture in our hearts will help us live righteously and hear Jesus’ voice so we can follow Him (John 10:27).

Memorizing Scripture will also lend itself toward transforming us by the renewing of our minds, as Paul commands us in Romans 12.  Thinking like unbelievers will lead our minds down an ungodly path where we are conformed to the world, but when we commit Scripture to memory, we will renew our minds with God’s truth and be transformed.

We will also grow in wisdom and understanding when we memorize Scripture, and it richly dwells within us.  In Colossians 3:16, Paul writes, “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.”  Wisdom gained from memorized Scripture will help us make good decisions and allow us to teach and impart wisdom to others.  It will also help us understand God’s character and will so that we can follow His path for us.

Additionally, many areas of the Bible require repeated reading.  At first glance, some passages are very challenging, but each subsequent reading helps them to be a little more understandable.  Memorizing Scripture will help solidify these passages in our minds so that what was once confusing becomes easily understood.  Mastering difficult passages as we study them will help strengthen our faith and ability to share them.

Lastly, memorizing Scripture will help us witness better to others.  Imagine how our witness can be more strong, confident, and credible if we are able to quickly and clearly articulate Scripture to others, both when sharing the Gospel and answering questions or a counterpoint.

So how can we go about memorizing Scripture better?  First, we can pray and ask God to help us memorize His Word.  Next, revisiting the beginning of this post, one thing that has helped me has been finding musicians who have written tunes for Scripture.  There is something about music that does lend itself well to memorization, and I have been able to recall Scripture set to music just as well as any hymn that I love and have committed to memory.

In addition, Scripture is easier to memorize when we focus on a specific passage and write it out.  Erasing one word at a time during the repetition and trying to fill in the erased words makes it easier to learn.  Creating flash cards or taking turns reciting Scripture with friends or family is beneficial.  Speaking of our loved ones, it would also be helpful to have an accountability partner with whom we could work on specific memorization goals.  When we start small, we build confidence in small memory gains that will lead to attempting larger passages.  And while we are memorizing, it is important to memorize the reference also.

With a little practice and discipline, even if we start small, we can enrich our spiritual lives and honor God with memorizing Scripture.

Jeanne-Marie Witmer

Jeanne-Marie Witmer, Daughter of the King, is a wife and a mother to a teenage son. She wants to encourage women to have meaningful relationships by first having a meaningful relationship with Jesus. Jeanne-Marie understands the transformative work of Christ when we repent and submit to Him so that He can work in our lives. She would like to share what she's learned to help other women find hope and healing in Christ, and she prays that her written words glorify God. When not busy homeschooling, spending time with family and friends, or writing; Jeanne-Marie enjoys photography and many crafts and hobbies.