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Why should we memorize the Bible? Put simply: 'because we love God.'
In Deut. 6:5 (and Matt. 22:37) we are told to love the Lord our God with all of our beings. It is the the center of the Christian life. The question as we wake up in the morning should be, 'how can I love God better this day?' and the question on our lips as we close our eyes needs to be, 'where did I love things more than God,' and 'how can love Him more tomorrow?'
Why do we love God? Because He is the most valuable existence in our lives. God, who is the source of all good, of love, of justice, of life itself is to be desired with all our hearts. Anything else is dirty idolatry. Why do we sin? Because we don't believe this. Because we don't love God. Why do I sin? Because I do not fully believe this at all times. If I truly embraced this, then anything that opposes or is contrary to God would be utterly offensive to me, and I would run from it. And so we love God first and foremost.
Because we love Him, it's only natural that we would love His word. We love it because it teaches us of God's ways, and about God Himself, our greatest desire. Therefore we love and cherish His Word. The Psalmist expresses his deep affection for the Scriptures in Psalm 119. We read that he “delights” in it (Ps. 119:14-16, 24, 92, 143), that he is “consumed with longing for it (Ps. 119:20, 40, 131), and that it is of great value to him (Ps. 119:72). Why does he proclaim his love for God's word over and over again? (Ps. 119:46-48, 97, 113, 119-120, 127-128, 140, 159, 163, 165, 167) Why are they so important to him?
- The Scriptures point him to God (Ps. 119:12, 26, 104)
- They keep him from sinning, by teaching him what God desires (Ps. 119:5-8, 9-12). The word of God gives him ammunition with which to fight off the attacks of temptation.
- It is a foundation upon which his hope and comfort stand (Ps. 119:43, 114, 49-52, 57-58)
So therefore, in summary: 1) he loves God deeply, above all else; 2) God's word reveals God to him, and shows him how to live a life that is in line with God; 3) therefore, he loves God's word, and conforms his life to it. But how do we go about developing a love for God? It makes sense that one would love His word if he or she completely loves God, but what about the times when we don't?
First, we pray. We ask God to pour His love into our hearts, that He would become more valuable to us than any other thing in this world. Secondly, we immerse ourselves in His word. We learn who God is. We grasp His promises to us. We store up Scripture like gold and silver in our hearts. One practical way that can saturate our lives in His word is by memorizing.
So we memorize because we love God and long to know Him more. Here are five other practical reasons:
- It gives us knowledge to increases our worship. The Scriptures are like honey, sweet truths of God that we are able to mull over, to chew on, to let soak into our brains and hearts. As they permeate our hearts, they will stir up worship and praise to God for who He has revealed Himself to be.
- It helps to keep us from sin. Why, in Eph. 6:17, does Paul tell us to “take up the sword of Spirit, which is the word of God”? Because we are in constant battle with our sinful nature. And as Jesus proved in Matt. 4:1-11, Scripture is the best tool with which to fight.
- It helps us to assimilate the truths of Scripture. As we memorize Scripture, we will make connections that we have not seen before. We will recall a passage that speaks of one aspect of God's awesome character, and as we read a different passage, the Holy Spirit can bring those connections together to give us a brighter understanding of the Scriptures.
- We are able to better share the glories of Jesus' gospel with others. What will we do if we don't have a Bible handy? If we have committed Scripture to memory, we will be able to relay the truth of God's word. And what if we do? It will greatly aid our navigation of the Scriptures as we pour over the Bible.
- Finally, It gives us material with which we might encourage one another. I Thess. 5:14 tells us that we are to admonish, encourage, and help our brothers and sisters. What are we to encourage one another with? Opinions? By no means, rather Scripture!
Memorization is a tool – not an end. There are loads of people with chapters of Scripture memorized by no devotion to God. Memorization is but another way that we can hide God's Word into our hearts...however, the true 'hiding' comes through cherishing God's word because it draws us toward and teaches us about Him. We store up His word because we love Him. I hope you will join us in this grand adventure and rich experience. By His grace...