Memorize the Bible

By Danny Saavedra

So, a little background info on me . . . I was raised in church since birth. I attended a Christian school from kindergarten all the way through high school graduation. And I’m sure there may be a few of you out there just like me. I’m sure some of you who are reading this were raised in church or attended Christian schools, and so you may relate memorizing Scripture to Sunday school or Bible class. 

You may also equate Scripture memorization with getting a grade, but today, I hope I can show you that this practice has a much greater impact than you realize.  If that’s not you, I hope what you read today is able to show just how valuable, powerful, and truly life-altering Scripture memorization is.

What’s the point of memorizing Scripture? In Psalm 119:11 (NIV), David says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The Hebrew word for “hidden” is ṣāp̄antî. It means “to store up, to store up as one does with treasure, to hoard, cache, or reserve.” When you think of this word, think of squirrels, beavers, blue jays, or ravens who store up food for the winter months. Think about how many, people went and bought 5,000 rolls of toilet paper and barrels full of hand sanitizer when the Coronavirus pandemic and the shut-downs associated with it began. The implication is of one storing up something extremely valuable for the moments when a need arises, kind of like when someone puts money into a savings account, health savings account (HSA), or retirement fund.

Friends, when we memorize Scripture, we’re not just memorizing words from a book, we’re inscribing the living, active, searching, and sanctifying voice of our Creator and Redeemer directly into our soul. We’re reserving the greatest treasure in all the world in the vault of our minds. We’re storing up what Peter called the “words of eternal life” (John 6:68 NIV) in the pantry of our heart.

Memorizing Scripture is an exercise in storing up an arsenal of weapons for the Spirit’s use. It gives the Holy Spirit fuel to recall truth in moments of need and ministry. It prepares us to fight sin (as David said), to offer counseling, and to share the gospel . . . but it goes beyond that.

You see, when we memorize Scripture, we’re not just storing up holy food for tomorrow, we’re also listening and learning to identify the voice of our Good Shepherd today. Jesus said in John 10:27 (NIV), “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Do you want to learn to recognize the voice of Jesus in your life so you can follow Him closely? Embrace Scripture memorization! Very few things will be more effective in remaking and remolding your mind as memorizing Scripture. It recalibrates our thought processes—like clay, it remolds our minds to mimic the mind of God. It’s how the Spirit gives us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 2:5, 4:7) here and now!

Earlier, I likened to the idea of hiding His Word in our heart to a savings account. But in reality, the amazing thing about memorizing Scripture is that it’s literally like making a big deposit into our checking and savings accounts! It doesn’t just store up treasure for the future, it makes massive riches available to us today.

So, circling back to those of you who have elementary or middle school flashbacks to memory Bible verses, think about this . . . I’m certain you still remember today some of those verses you learned back then. In moments where you least expect it: in a conversation with a friend who’s struggling, in moments of personal struggle or uncertainty, in instances where you’re seeking confirmation, in prayer; in those times when you have the privilege of sharing the gospel with someone, I’m sure the Holy Spirit has brought to mind a verse you learned back in fourth, sixth, or tenth grade. Why? Because it’s hidden in your heart!

I’m so grateful for all the years of memorizing verses because today I have a wealth of Scripture I can simply recite for almost any occasion. The Holy Spirit puts the right verse on my heart in those moments because the verses are stored in my mind!