Memorize the Word…

 “Your word I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You…”      —Ps. 119:11

One of the spiritual disciplines we should recover immediately is the practice of memorizing scripture. Nothing has the power to make a more substantial change in our lives than filling our heart and mind with the living Word of God. The reason for this is found in John’s revelation that God and His Word are One. The King James communicates this truth better than any of the more modern versions:

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”     — John 1:1–2

When we fill ourselves with the Word, we intensify our awareness of the presence of God. We could say that we are filled with God only to the extent that we are filled with His Word. Selah!

 By planting God’s Word in our memory, we position ourselves in a place of submission to it. The memorized Word can (and will) shape our dreams, our speech and our thoughts, each of which plays a role in determining the direction of our life. When the Word governs our life, the outcome will be blessed:

 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”       —Josh. 1:8

 The Bible likens the Word to food. By memorizing the Word, we feed our spirit, which is the source of our life (Prov. 4:23):

 But [Jesus] answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”             — Matt. 4:4

 Our energy and strength ebb when we skip a meal; in the same way our spiritual strength is sapped by missing time in the Word. Memorizing scripture enables us to feed “on the run.” Job recognized this important work of the Word when he said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).

 Memorizing the Word will sustain us. But perhaps even more importantly, memorizing the Word will guide us on our journey of discipleship. We are destined to be conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior (Rom. 8:29). The Holy Spirit will use the Word we’ve memorized as He shapes us into accurate representatives of Christ in the world:

 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”        — John 14:26

 The Holy Spirit will use the Word we memorize to encourage our obedience to God’s commands. And then this becomes a life-giving, life-sustaining cycle. We memorize scripture to increase our awareness of God and to join ourselves to Him. The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s commands, and, as an expression of our love for God, we seek to obey the Word. This then further unites us with God:

 “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.’”            — John 14:23–24

 Our life as Christians is founded on, sustained with, and developed by the Word of God. Yet the Word printed in our Bible on the table can have only limited effect. However, if we take the Bible and speak the Word aloud into our memory, the Word’s power will be released into our life. Memorizing scripture equips us with a reservoir of God’s Word, which will permeate our entire life. It is time to recapture this spiritual discipline: memorize the Word!

 Begin with something easy and work your way up. You might start with a favorite psalm. Psalm 1 or Psalm 23 are excellent choices for beginning memorization; Psalm 91 is another wonderful psalm to write on your heart. In time you’ll want to work your way up to memorizing entire chapters of scripture. Romans 8, John 3, and Isaiah 53 are excellent chapters to commit to memory.

 Know that as you fill your heart and mind with God’s Word, your life will change. You will become more conscious of God’s continuous presence. You will mature in the life of faith. And you will be equipped to be a blessing to others in ways you have not imagined. Let us embark on this discipline together and encourage one another to memorize the Word.