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Bible Lesson for Bible Teachers, Lesson #5

A 100% Guaranteed Way to Sin Lesson Than You Do

Psalm 119.9, 11; Matthew 12.1 – 11

Good Questions Have Groups Talking



Email your group and mention you will be talking about Scripture memory this week. There are a number of great Scripture memory apps out there. (I use Scripture Typer.) Ask you people to experiment with one or two and give the group a review.

If you like this format of lessons, I have a couple of thousand at

OPEN

What is your name and one thing you love about teaching.

DIG

1. Last week we talked about setting an example for the people we teach. We talked about saying to our people, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” We don’t want to be people who say to our people, “Do what I say, not what I do.” Perhaps this has caused you to think. (I hope so!) Perhaps you are thinking, “I need to be a better example.” If so, would you like to have a 100% guaranteed plan to sin less than you do? If so, let’s read Psalm 119.9, 11. Let’s read it—especially verse 11—in several translations.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 (NIV2011)

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 (ESV)

I have thought much about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin. Psalm 119:11 (TLB)

I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt. Psalm 119:11 (MSG)

I treasure your word above all else; it keeps me from sinning against you. Psalm 119:11 (CEV)

Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 (NASB)

I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 (NRSV)

I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 (HCSB)

In my heart I treasure your promises, to avoid sinning against you. Psalm 119:11 (NJB)

2. Some translations say, “hidden” while others say, “treasured.” How are those words similar, and how are they different? Do you have a study Bible with a note? Which one is right?

The term hidden expresses the idea of treasuring the Bible the same way a miser hoards gold coins, keeping them in a secret vault.

Over the years, I have hoarded Bible verses, gathering a storehouse of them in my mind. I can recall more than one occasion when the memorized Word of God rescued me from sexual temptation. It was as though God pulled down an imaginary shade between the other person and me, and inscribed on the surface were the words “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7 KJV). I had committed that verse to memory as a teenager. During times when I felt profound loneliness, Scripture I had memorized rescued me from the pit of depression. Verses like Isaiah 41:10 and 49:15–16, along with Psalm 27:1 and 30:5, have brought me great comfort. — Charles R. Swindoll, Living the Proverbs: Insights for the Daily Grind (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2012).

3. What does it mean to hide God’s Word in your heart?

That is perhaps the best and most comprehensive thing in the whole Bible that describes very, very briefly what your relationship should be to the Word of Truth. To hide something in the heart doesn’t mean less than study it. To hide it in the heart means you are meditating on it, maybe memorizing it, studying it, and thinking about it.

To hide it in your heart means you’re making it part of you. It means it becomes instinctive. It means it becomes part of your very blood. It means that the summons, assurances, and warnings are just part of you. You walk around with them. I remember one incident on one morning. I don’t do this like I should. I hate to use myself as a good example; I really wasn’t. — Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

4. What benefits come to those who hide God’s word in your heart?

If you get into the Word of God, you won’t sin nearly as much as if you don’t. The Word of God will prevent you from sinning. That’s what David meant again when he said, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

The more you are in the Word of God, the more sensitive you become to those things which can lead you astray. It is awfully difficult to spend an hour or two in the Word of God in the morning, and then walk away from that and begin to violate principles that you know are a part of God’s truth. The Word of God empowers you to do the right thing, so you don’t end up violating what you know to be true. — David Jeremiah, Celebrate His Love: Study Guide (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), 130.

5. Would you say Scripture memory is a means to an end, or an end in itself?

One morning I was studying Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy, God is talking to the children of Israel saying, “You have a lot of immigrants. You have aliens, people from other countries who live among you. Be kind to the aliens and immigrants among you, for you were once aliens and immigrants in Egypt, and I brought you out.” Later in the day, I was in a line at Gristedes, a grocery store, and it was taking forever. It was a long line, and it wasn’t moving at all. All of us were just so angry.

As I got to about the third from the front, I suddenly realized the reason was the female cashier didn’t know English very well. She was making a lot of mistakes, and I was standing there saying, “Why can’t you even know English?” Suddenly I remembered, “Be kind to the aliens and immigrants amongst you, for you were an alien, and I brought you out.” When I got up to the cashier, I looked at her and said, “Hi,” because accidently, frankly, part of the Word of God was hidden in my heart. It doesn’t happen enough. — Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

6. How would you explain the value of Scripture memory to a new believer?

Nothing will drive steel into the soul of a believer like memorizing God’s Word. Would you like to sin less than you do? Memorize God’s Word. I love this verse: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, “Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.”

Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”

One of the reasons Martin Luther came to his great discovery in the Bible of justification by faith alone was that in his early years in the Augustinian monastery he was influenced to love Scripture by Johann Staupitz. Luther devoured the Bible in a day when people earned doctorates in theology without even reading the Bible. Luther said that his fellow professor, Andreas Karlstadt, did not even own a Bible when he earned his doctor of theology degree, nor did he until many years later. Luther knew so much of the Bible from memory that when the Lord opened his eyes to see the truth of justification in Romans 1:17, he said, “Thereupon I ran through the Scriptures from memory,” in order to confirm what he had found. — Josh Hunt, The Habit of Discipleship (Pulpit Press, 2015).

7. Matthew 4.1 – 11. What was Jesus’ secret to beating temptation?

Most Christians don’t like to hear the “Bible memory” message, but I’m going to summarize here because it is so important in defeating temptation. How did Jesus defeat Satan in the wilderness? By quoting the Word of God. And we can do the same (Matthew 4:1–11). If Jesus relied on Bible memory, do you think it might be good for us as well? One of the best verses I know to memorize as a great checklist for Internet use is Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true . . . noble . . . just . . . pure . . . lovely . . . of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” If you can find a web site that meets those criteria, then stay there all day. If it doesn’t, then you’d better move on in a hurry.

When we hide God’s Word in our hearts the Holy Spirit can bring it immediately to mind when we are tempted (Psalm 119:9, 11). To use computer terminology, some Christians’ hard drives are completely empty—there is nothing stored there for the Holy Spirit to use to help them resist sin. So start downloading the Word today. — David Jeremiah, Family Factor: Study Guide (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003), 96.

8. Do you think Jesus just knew these verses because He was Jesus, or do you think He had to memorize them the old-fashioned way—without and app?

It is obvious He had memorized these Old Testament commands that He effectively used to thwart Satan’s assaults. But it should also be apparent to us that Jesus knew more than a few isolated verses of the Mosaic Law. Rather, His mind was steeped in the Scriptures. If you and I are going to be holy as He is holy, our minds must also be filled with Scripture. In the words of Paul, we must “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” (Colossians 3:16). — Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 180.

9. How would you respond to a friend who said, “I just can’t memorize”?

That means that you hide the Word of God in your heart. You can remember far more than you think you can remember. In fact, we function by memory. Memory comes with concentration, motivation, and use. Your mind is a marvel, and you can remember far more than you think you can remember as you preserve the Word of God.

My wife enjoys collecting pretty little boxes. Sometimes people will bring her boxes from other countries. They may be intricately carved or covered in jewels. You see one and say, “What a marvelous little box.” Then you open it up to look inside. Do you know what’s inside that beautiful little box? It contains things like rubber bands, paper clips, toothpicks, or an old breath mint. Your mind is like that box. God gave you a marvelous mind, and you’ve got all this junk in it. — Adrian Rogers and Steve Rogers, What Every Christian Ought to Know (Nashville: B&H, 2012).

10. Have any of you used a Scripture memory app? Who can give us a report?

Best Bible Memory Apps

Our Winner: Scripture Typer Bible Memory

: Android; iOS: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

File Size: 13.9MB

Seller: Millennial Apps, LLC

Cost: Free / Premium version recommended. $9.99

If you’ve been meaning to start memorizing Scripture, the Scripture Typer Bible Memorization System is where it’s at. You can type verses out, use flash cards, create drawings, make collections, and set review intervals. You can also sync with your other devices, and on the upgraded version of this amazing app, you can record yourself speaking the verse. Customer reviews say it all; just check out how much the users love this app, and you’ll have every reason to download it then and there.

The Runner-Up: Fighter Verses

: Android; iOS: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

File Size: 7.1MB

Seller: Children Desiring God

Cost: $2.99

Fighter Verses is another great Bible memorization app that offers handy features like daily alerts and customizable settings, making Bible memory attainable for anyone, even children. It’s perfect for anyone who’s serious about hiding God’s Word in their heart.

11. Let’s brainstorm practical ways we can make Scripture Memory a part of our lives. Let’s make a long list of practical ideas to help us hide God’s Word in our heart.

It is also very important to commit Scripture to memory. Many wonderful Bible memorization helps are available. Once Scripture is ingrained in your memory, it will always be there to use. There will be times when that verse or passage you memorized will pay great dividends. It will bring comfort to your heart, as well as needed strength in a time of intense temptation. We’re told in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Although it is good to carry a Bible in your briefcase, pocket, or purse, the best place to carry it is in your heart!

In Deuteronomy 11:18–20, God tells us, “Commit yourselves completely to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Teach them to your children. Talk about them.… Write them.…”

The best way for me to remember things is to write them down. When I write something down, it is engraved more deeply into my memory, much deeper than if I only read it. I might not even have to refer to what I wrote. Writing something down seems to help the material enter my mind and gives it more “staying power.” It is a good practice to keep a journal or notebook with your Bible. When you study the Scripture and a passage speaks to you, write down what God has shown you. Maybe it won’t be useful right at that moment, but the next day or a month later it may be just what you need. — Greg Laurie, New Believer’s Guide to Effective Christian Living (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2002), 47–48.

12. Look at the overall context of Psalm 119.1 – 16. How would you turn this into a prayer? How would you respond in prayer to this section?

How precious is Your Word to us, our Father. The older we get, the more we realize its value and treasure its truths. We thank You for Your precepts, clearly delineated and purposefully defined in Scripture to give us direction. Thank You also for principles that, with wisdom, may be applied even in the twenty-first century, when it seems as though the world’s standard for living has gotten fuzzy, making the future intimidating and frightening for many.

We’re grateful, Lord, that Your Word gives light, because there’s an enormous amount of darkness around us. We want to live on the bright side of life. We want to enjoy what You have for us rather than endure our circumstances. We want to see the beauty of Your purposes and how they all fit together into a divinely designed plan that makes great sense to You. We rest our case there, even though there are times it does not make sense to us.

Thank You, Father, for the way You speak to us through Scripture. May we realize its relevance and appreciate how often Your Word addresses the needs of our lives. In clearly stated words, it talks about where we live, how we are to live, and what life is all about. We desperately need that guidance. So we submit ourselves to You and we commit ourselves to the reading and the study of Your Word. May we be faithful and disciplined to this commitment.

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. — Charles Swindoll, Hear Me When I Call: Learning to Connect with a God Who Cares (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013).

13. What do you love about Scripture memory? How has Scripture Memory benefited you?

God has made provision for each believer to live holy and pure lives—regardless of his or her environment. That provision is the power of His Word. The ability to live above the filth and evil in the daily world around us can be achieved only through listening to and responding to the truth of the Scriptures. — Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 242.

14. Let’s see how we are doing with Scripture memory so far. How many verses can we recall that we have memorized? Let’s make a long list.

God’s Word is living and powerful. It is a treasured, priceless gift of God. As we fellowship with Him we get to know Him better.

What a precious time to sit alone in the silence of a weary day. Meditate on God’s Word, taking in and absorbing the beauty of His promises. Let’s engrave the Word of God and inscribe it into the far corners of our minds. Whenever we find ourselves in a moment of silence, let’s enjoy what God has to say. — Mary Adams, Spiritual Champion: A Women’s Study Devotional and Journal (Greenville, SC: Ambassador International, 2014).

15. Can you think of a time when a verse you had memorized comforted you or kept you from temptation, or helped you in some other way? Who has a story?

Many Christians struggle with spiritual defeat or recurring sins because they haven’t learned to apply Biblical principles to specific situations. Perhaps they don’t know God’s will because they haven’t matured in the Word. Or maybe they know what He expects of them, but they disregard His counsel. In either case, the result is the same.

Jesus Himself repelled Satan’s attacks by quoting specific portions of Scripture that applied to specific temptations (Matt. 4:1–11). He knew the Word, believed it, and refused to compromise its principles. In so doing, He set a pattern for us to follow. — John F. MacArthur Jr., Drawing Near—Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1993), 294.

16. Other than the benefit of keeping us form sin—which is significant—what other benefits to Scripture Memory can you recall?

The Value of Scripture Memory / 15 benefits of filling your mind with God’s word

by Francis Cosgrove

1. INCREASING OUR FAITH

Scripture memory increases our faith and trust in God. We begin to look at life more and more from his point of view. Paul wrote, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). The memorized word of God helps us grasp this attitude of Christ as we walk through life, and builds our faith in God’s guidance and love for us.

Christian worker Bob Foster called Scripture memory "the daily habit of supplying the subconscious with God’s material to chew upon." He wrote,

There is a vast difference between "I have a verse" and "It has me." The one can be the parrot-like repetition of words . . . the latter is the transforming by the renewing of your mind.

2. VICTORY OVER SIN

Just as the psalmist wrote, Scripture memory helps us have victory over sin: "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11).

3. INNER CLEANSING

Scripture memory has a cleansing effect. To get rid of unclean thoughts which can lead to unclean words and actions, we can substitute clean thoughts by concentrating on the words of God that we have memorized. Instead of suppressing evil thoughts, we replace them.

4. KNOWING BIBLE DOCTRINE

Scripture memory can increase our awareness of biblical doctrines, providing a practical foundation for the way we are to live.

5. GUIDANCE

God instructs us in the way we should go as he speaks to us through the Scriptures we know by heart. "Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors" (Psalm 119:24).

6. PRAYER

Jesus said, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7). Our prayer life is enhanced as we pray Scripture back to God.

7. BIBLE STUDY

Scripture memory helps us in our study of the Bible. We know more cross-references, and we can more easily tie various parts of Scripture together to increase our understanding.

8. FINDING PASSAGES

By memorizing key verses, we can locate specific passages on a particular teaching. Knowing Matthew 6:33, for example—"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"—helps us remember that Jesus’s teaching about placing God’s concerns above our own physical needs is found in Matthew 6.

9. MEDITATION

Scripture memory allows us to meditate at any time on God’s word. We’ll always have something scriptural to think about, even when it isn’t possible to open up a Bible. "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long" (Psalm 119:97).

10. EXPERIENCING THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures we have memorized to strengthen us and to help us experience the power of his presence.

11. WORSHIP

Scripture memory helps us worship God. In our personal, joyful worship of him at any time of day we can praise God with Scripture. "Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws" (Psalm 119:164).

12. NOT WASTING TIME

Scripture memory helps us make good use of what might otherwise be wasted time, such as waiting in a long line at the grocery store or driving to work. We may even find that occupying our mind with God’s word keeps us from becoming impatient or angry.

13. COUNSELING

Scripture memory helps us in counseling others. We will be able to say what the prophet Isaiah said: "The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary" (Isaiah 50:4). The Holy Spirit will bring to our mind verses that suit the particular need of the person we are talking with.

14. WITNESSING

Scripture memory enables us to witness effectively. By knowing verses that present the plan of salvation we are equipped for evangelism at any time, just as the apostle Peter quoted the Old Testament words of Joel and David as he spoke to the crowd that assembled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). We can also give biblical answers to people who ask us about our faith. We may not have a Bible with us in a spur-of-the-moment situation, but we are never without the Scripture portions we have memorized.

15. TEACHING

Anyone who teaches God’s word publicly should be able to quote Scripture to make his points and to answer questions from his listeners. — Discipleship Journal, Issue 9 (May/June 1982) (NavPress, 1982).

17. What would you say to a Christian friend that said they just had no desire to memorize God’s Word?

Father, forgive me for neglecting Your Word; forgive me for the times I’ve tried to live off of substitutes. May I be able to say, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). I’ve learned that the more I meditate on Your Word, the greater my appetite for it; the more I neglect it, the less I miss it. Let me begin today with a new resolve to “meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). Give me a hunger that can only be satisfied by Your Word. — Erwin Lutzer, Covering Your Life in Prayer: Discover a Life-Changing Conversation with God (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2013).

18. Imagine a believer that never memorized a single verse. How would his life be poorer? What would he or she miss out on?

In his book How To Be Born Again, Billy Graham tells of a missionary who was imprisoned by the Japanese in China. At this concentration camp the penalty for owning even a portion of the Scriptures was death; however, a small Gospel of John was smuggled to her in a winter coat. At night when she went to bed she pulled the covers over her head and, with her flashlight in hand, read a verse and then put herself to sleep memorizing that verse. In this way, over a period of time, she memorized the entire Gospel of John.

When she went to wash her hands she would take one page at a time, dissolve it with the soap and water, and flush it down the drain. “And that is the way,” she said, “that John and I parted company.”

This little missionary was interviewed by a Time reporter just before the prisoners were released and he happened to be standing at the gates when the prisoners came out. Most of them shuffled along, eyes on the ground, little more than automatons. Then out came the little missionary, bright as a button. One of the reporters was heard to ask, “I wonder if they managed to brainwash her?”

The Time reporter overheard the remark and answered, “God washed her brain.” — Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 57.

19. What would you say are some of the most important verses to memorize? Let’s make a long list.

When Howard Rutledge’s plane was shot down over Vietnam, he parachuted into a little village and was immediately attacked, stripped naked, and imprisoned. For the next seven years he endured brutal treatment. His food was little more than a bowl of rotting soup with a glob of pig fat—skin, hair, and all. Rats the size of cats and spiders as big as fists scurried around him. He was frequently cold, alone, and tortured. He was sometimes shackled in excruciating positions and left for days in his own waste with carnivorous insects boring through his oozing sores. How did he keep his sanity?

In his book, In the Presence of Mine Enemies, Rutledge gives a powerful testimony as to the importance of Scripture memory. Some excerpts follow:

“Now the sights and sounds and smells of death were all around me. My hunger for spiritual food soon outdid my hunger for a steak. Now I wanted to know about that part of me that will never die. Now I wanted to talk about God and Christ and the church. But in Heartbreak solitary confinement there was no pastor, no Sunday-school teacher, no Bible, no hymnbook, no community of believers to guide and sustain me. I had completely neglected the spiritual dimension of my life. It took prison to show me how empty life is without God, and so I had to go back in my memory to those Sunday-school days in Tulsa, Oklahoma. If I couldn’t have a Bible and hymnbook, I would try to rebuild them in my mind.

“I tried desperately to recall snatches of Scripture, sermons, gospel choruses from childhood, and hymns we sang in church. The first three dozen songs were relatively easy. Every day I’d try to recall another verse or a new song. One night there was a huge thunderstorm—it was the season of the monsoon rains—and a bolt of lightning knocked out the lights and plunged the entire prison into darkness. I had been going over hymn tunes in my mind and stopped to lie down and sleep when the rains began to fall. The darkened prison echoed with wave after wave of water. Suddenly, I was humming my thirty-seventh song, one I had entirely forgotten since childhood.

Showers of blessings,

Showers of blessings we need!

Mercy drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead

“I no sooner had recalled those words than another song popped into my mind, the theme song of a radio program my mother listened to when I was just a kid.

Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine

Flooding my soul with glory divine.

Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine,

Hallelujah! Jesus is mine!

“Most of my fellow prisoners were struggling like me to rediscover faith, to reconstruct workable value systems. Harry Jenkins lived in a cell nearby during much of my captivity. Often we would use those priceless seconds of communication in a day to help one another recall Scripture verses and stories.

“One day I heard him whistle. When the cell block was clear, I waited for his communication, thinking it to be some important news. ‘I got a new one,’ he said. ‘I don’t know where it comes from or why I remember it, but it’s a story about Ruth and Naomi.’ He then went on to tell that ancient story of Ruth following Naomi into a hostile new land and finding God’s presence and protection there. Harry’s urgent news was 2,000 years old. It may not seem important to prison life, but we lived off that story for days, rebuilding it, thinking about what it meant, and applying God’s ancient words to our predicament.

“Everyone knew the Lord’s Prayer and the Twenty-third Psalm, but the camp favorite verse that everyone recalled first and quoted most often is found in the Gospel of John, third chapter, sixteenth verse.… With Harry’s help, I even reconstructed the seventeenth and eighteenth verses.

“How I struggled to recall those Scriptures and hymns! I had spent my first eighteen years in a Southern Baptist Sunday school, and I was amazed at how much I could recall. Regrettably, I had not seen then the importance of memorizing verses from the Bible, or learning gospel songs. Now, when I needed them, it was too late. I never dreamed that I would spend almost seven years (five of them in solitary confinement) in a prison in North Vietnam or that thinking about one memorized verse could have made the whole day bearable.

“One portion of a verse I did remember was, ‘Thy word have I hid in my heart.’ How often I wished I had really worked to hide God’s Word in my heart. I put my mind to work. Every day I planned to accomplish certain tasks. I woke early, did my physical exercises, cleaned up as best I could, then began a period of devotional prayer and meditation. I would pray, hum hymns silently, quote Scripture, and think about what the verse meant to me.

“Remember, we weren’t playing games. The enemy knew that the best way to break a man’s resistance was to crush his spirit in a lonely cell. In other words, some of our POWs after solitary confinement lay down in a fetal position and died. All this talk of Scripture and hymns may seem boring to some, but it was the way we conquered our enemy and overcame the power of death around us.” — Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 57–59.

20. I’d like for as many of you who are brave enough to answer this question: what do you want to do about today’s lesson? How do you want to memorize Scripture in the next 30 days?

So here are a few reasons why so many have viewed Scripture memorization as so essential to the Christian life.

1. CONFORMITY TO CHRIST

Paul wrote that “we all, . . . beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). If we would be changed into Christlikeness, we must steadily see him. This happens in the word. “The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:21). Bible memorization has the effect of making our gaze on Jesus steadier and clearer.

2. DAILY TRIUMPH OVER SIN

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. . . . I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9, 11). Paul said that we must “by the Spirit . . . put to death the [sinful] deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13). The one piece of armor used to kill is the “sword of the Spirit” which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). As sin lures the body into sinful action, we call to mind a Christ-revealing word of Scripture and slay the temptation with the superior worth and beauty of Christ over what sin offers.

3. DAILY TRIUMPH OVER SATAN

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, he recited Scripture from memory and put Satan to flight (Matthew 4:1–11).

4. COMFORT AND COUNSEL FOR PEOPLE YOU LOVE

The times when people need you to give them comfort and counsel do not always coincide with the times you have your Bible handy. Not only that, the very word of God spoken spontaneously from your heart has unusual power. Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” That is a beautiful way of saying, When the heart full of God’s love can draw on the mind full of God’s word, timely blessings flow from the mouth.

5. COMMUNICATING THE GOSPEL TO UNBELIEVERS

Opportunities to share the gospel come when we do not have the Bible in hand. Actual verses of the Bible have their own penetrating power. And when they come from our heart, as well as from the Book, the witness is given that they are precious enough to learn. We should all be able to sum up the gospel under four main headings: 1) God’s holiness/law/glory; 2) man’s sin/rebellion/disobedience; 3) Christ’s death for sinners; 4) the free gift of life by faith. Learn a verse or two relating to each of these, and be ready in season and out of season to share them.

6. COMMUNION WITH GOD IN THE ENJOYMENT OF HIS PERSON AND WAYS

The way we commune with (that is, fellowship with) God is by meditating on his attributes and expressing to him our thanks and admiration and love, and seeking his help to live a life that reflects the value of these attributes. Therefore, storing texts in our minds about God helps us relate to him as he really is. For example, imagine being able to call this to mind through the day:

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8–14)

I used the word “enjoyment” intentionally when I said, “communion with God in the enjoyment of his person and ways.” Most of us are emotionally crippled—all of us, really. We do not experience God in the fullness of our emotional potential.

How will that change? One way is to memorize the emotional expressions of the Bible and speak them to the Lord and to each other until they become part of who we are. For example, in Psalm 103:1, we say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” That is not a natural expression for many people. But if we memorize this and other emotional expressions from the Bible, and say them often, asking the Lord to make the emotion real in our hearts, we can actually grow into that emotion and expression. It will become part of who we are. We will be less emotionally crippled and more able to render proper praise and thanks to God.

There are other reasons for memorizing Scripture. I hope you find them in the actual practice. — John Piper

21. This week, I would like to lead you in a closing prayer. What can I remember in prayer for you and your group?

I come today asking that You might give my children the gift of memorizing Your Word. If You should not make it easy, would You let them see the benefit of it and have a desire to do the hard work anyway?

I pray that they will commit verses and passages to memory that will help them recognize the early approach of the enemy. May these verses also direct them on how to live a holy life that is easy for You to bless.

It’s not enough for them simply to know Your Word and recognize sin, but may they apply Your truth to every area and relationship of their life and be a doer of Your Word. — Tony Wood, A Parent’s Book of Prayers: Day by Day Devotional (Nashville: B&H, 2014).

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