For the longest time I was content memorizing a verse here or there, with no real goals or drive to hide more of God’s Word in my heart. I figured if I wanted to know what a verse said, I could just look it up in my Bible. But over the last year or so, the Lord has lit a fire in me to move past a mere familiarity with his Word to actually knowing it by heart.

Since I began memorizing passages, I have experienced so many benefits. Here are just a few reasons why I can’t imagine my life without it.

1. It increases my knowledge of God: of who he is, what he's promised, and who I am in Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

Though I love studying the Bible, I’ve found that memorizing Scripture has given me more knowledge of God than anything else. When I memorize Bible verses, I notice all the intricacies I would have missed if I had merely read through the passage. It’s the difference between driving through my neighborhood and walking through it. When I drive, I’m able to see some of the beauty in the neighborhood, but I miss the details of the individual flowers, plants, and trees. However, when I stroll my way through it, I can take my time absorbing all the details. Memorizing Scripture means slowing down and walking through the passage, verse by verse.

2. It equips me to rightly handle the headaches and heartaches of life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Each verse I hide in my heart gives me wisdom I need to handle the trials of life, whether it is words of comfort, encouragement, or direction.

3. It supplies me with wisdom to make the best possible choices on any given day (Psalm 119:97-100).

As the number of verses I’ve memorized grows, so does my ability to draw from the wisdom that God’s Word offers. In any given moment, I’m able to remember a verse that may give me the direction I need in my specific situation. As a result, I am better equipped to meet the needs of my family because each verse I memorize is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training me in righteousness — helping me to be a better spouse and parent (2 Timothy 3:16).

4. It helps me to think about the excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

Memorizing Scripture gives me something edifying to meditate on throughout each day. God calls us to dwell on “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). If I get burdened or overwhelmed, focusing my thoughts on my memory verses encourages me and strengthens me like nothing else.

5. My daily downtime counts for eternity and will endure forever (Ephesians 5:16, 1 Peter 1:25).

Whether I’m waiting in line, running errands, stuck in traffic, or doing household chores, I can make the most of it by setting my mind on learning or reviewing my memory verses. I love knowing that the time I spend memorizing Scripture will never return void (Isaiah 55:11). God is using every verse hidden in my heart in countless ways.


Photo Credit: Charlotte Tai