Years ago when my husband and I served as volunteer youth pastors, we engaged our students in an interesting exercise to illustrate why Scripture memory matters. As soon as the students walked in the door and sat down we said:
“Okay, find a spot in the room where you’re by yourself. Nobody can be within ten feet of you. Pretend you’ve been yanked out of your house and put in prison for your faith. Your only possession is a pen and some paper. What do you know? How much of God’s Word and His truths have you retained over the years? Do you know Scripture by heart? Are there verses to worship songs that come to mind? Or have you been filling your head with everything but truth? We want it quiet. We want you to focus. What do you know?”
The kids looked stunned at first but then most of them immediately settled in and wrote ferociously. Some stared at the wall with a lost look on their faces, while others never looked up.
When it was all said and done, we gathered the students together for a discussion.
And I’ll tell you, we all were surprised at the outcome. The class clown whom you thought never listened, had pages of insight and truth. The student who looked like a Christian poster child, had very little on his paper.
Certain students suddenly appreciated their parents and felt sorry for rolling their eyes when their parents spoke of faith and God’s Word. Other students felt really let down by their parents who professed to be Christians but never talked about faith or God’s Word at home.
We need God’s Word in us for so many reasons.
Bestselling author and Pastor Robert Morgan says,
“Whenever we store Scripture away in our hearts it becomes a concealed weapon, a vault of gold and a double-edged sword.”
According to Pastor Robert, these are the benefits to memorizing scripture:
• Clearer thoughts
• Steadier nerves
• Healthier emotions
• Purer habits
• Happier homes
• Greater respect
• Eternal optimism
Scripture is our plumb line, it’s living and active, it’s powerful, and God uses His Word to equip, establish, and empower us.
For every problem we face there is a corresponding promise of God to sustain and empower us. May you find the Word specific to your need today and may you hang on to it with all of the faith God gives you! Commit it to memory; use it as your sword. You won’t be sorry.
Blessings in Christ to you this day
