How To Eat An Elephant Blog Series - #4 Deeper Spiritual Disciplines (Scripture Memorization)

DEEPER SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:

For some of us…we’ve been around the Bible a little bit.  We grew up in church…have heard a lot of sermons…we have 3 or 4 Bibles at home. But for most of us we walk through our lives doing our own thing but all the while the very thing that we need collects dust on our coffee table or bookshelf.  We hardly see it as life changing…we may go to it when we experience unexpected relational, financial, marriage or family trouble but for most of us…it remains there. 

God has given us His Word that we can either ignore it or leverage it.  We can ignore it and there will be consequences.  Or you can embrace the truth that’s found in it and you can see the fruit that comes from knowing it!    

In Jesus time the Jewish children would grow up knowing the Bible.  By the time a child was 12 years old, the average child would have the “Torah” memorized.  The “Torah” was the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy).  The children who excelled, during the ages of 12-14 years would memorize the entire Hebrew Scripture, which is Genesis-Malachi.  Just in case you’re wondering…that’s 1074 chapters and 27,570 verses.  There is tremendous value in not only knowing and understanding God’s Word but having it stored in the depths of your spirit.

1.) Scripture memorization is about renewing our minds.

The word renew is profoundly simple, “to make our minds new”.  The battle that we are in is the battle of the mind.  All day long our minds are under attack from the false truth in the world. 

• If it feels right…do it!
• Whatever makes you happy!
• Have it your way mentality!
• Marriage is not that important…just live together.
• You can look…just don’t touch.  There’s nothing wrong checking out the menu!

We can go on and on and on.  The world is after your mind!  And more truthfully Satan is after your mind. To steel, kill and destroy your mind to be exact. How do we change the way we think, regard, perceive, and consider to be true, right and valuable?  If we are going to become more like Christ then we have to allow God’s Word to wash over & renew our minds.   

Paul said, it’s all about what we put in our minds.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We have two options: Either, conform and be like the world or bee transformed by God’s word to renew our minds.

You’ve heard this saying a million times, “you are what you eat!”  What are you consuming?  Are you devouring the lies of this world or the truth of God’s Word? As you’re reading God’s Word and something sticks out to you as you’re reading it, put it on an index card so that you can remember it!

John Ortberg writes, “The purpose of knowing Scripture is not to help us get a 100 score on the heavenly entrance exam. It is to help us become equipped for good works. If the Bible were to completely fulfill its mission, our minds would be so transformed—so filled with thoughts and feelings of truth, love, joy, and humility—that our lives would become one uninterrupted series of acts of grace and moral beauty. Every moment would be a miniature reflection of life in the Kingdom of God.”

Memorizing God’s Word helps renew our minds!

2.) Memorizing scripture helps us do battle against the enemy.

I don’t know if you believe in the Devil or not but you need to know that the enemy is alive and well.  And all day long he’s lying…deceiving…tempting…and then once you’ve sinned and blown it…he turns it on you and accuses you…he condemns you! 

I mean think about the times in your life when you said, “I’m never going to fill in the blank.”  And then the enemy comes along and says, “Is it really wrong?  Come on…everybody else is doing it?  You deserve it!  Go ahead…why not!  No one will know.  It will feel good.  It’s the right thing!  Come on…jump in with both feet!”  And then you do and what do you hear?  “I can’t believe you did that!  That’s disgusting.  You’re bad.  That’s gross.  You think you’re a good person.  You’re a Christian.  Yeah right!  You’re a hypocrite!  God could never forgive you!  God doesn’t love you!  Don’t tell anybody!  Don’t ask for help?  You’re a lost cause!”  Has anybody else ever felt like that?       

Luke 4:1-13, speaks of Jesus right after He was baptized.  The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to spend some solitude time with the Father.  Jesus spent 40 days alone with the Father to get ready for the ministry, teaching, and who shows up—the enemy, Satan!  The enemy begins his mission to try and stop the mission of Jesus before it had really started.  And what’s interesting is that Satan for 40 days kept trying to lie, deceive, lure, tempt Him and destroy His mission.  Couple things in this passage:

1.  Satan knows Scripture.  He misquotes Scripture trying to entice Jesus to sin.  Our enemy knows Scripture and uses the same tactics on us daily.

2.  Jesus combated His lies with truth.  Jesus quoted three different passages of Scripture to fight off the attacks of the enemy. 

If Jesus needed Scripture to fight off the lies and temptations of the enemy…don’t you think that you need to more so?  2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

Scripture memorization equips us with specific truths so that we can take down the specific lies of the enemy!  Ephesians 6:10-11 tells us,  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes.”  We need God’s truth to guard us from the lies of the enemy!

 

3.) Scripture memorization keeps us from sinning. 

Temptation is all around us!  Cheat on a test.  Fudge the numbers at work or on our tax returns.  Watch something that’s totally inappropriate.  We’re tempted to compromise, do what feels right, chase pleasure.  We’re tempted to lie about all kinds of stuff.  At the DMV when you go in to renew your license and you’re asked, “How much do you weigh?” its not asking what would you like to weigh!  Come on.  We’re tempted to say things that make us more important.  We’re tempted to go down some very slippery roads emotionally, relationally, and financially, that’s nothing new!  If you struggle with addiction then you’re tempted everyday to go after something that props you up and we self medicate!  We’re tempted to do what everybody else in doing and the old statement; “Well, if your friends jumped off a bridge would you?” doesn’t work for us!  It just doesn’t. 

Temptation is going to be everywhere, it is everywhere dangling in front of our face every second of every day.  So what do we do? We have to fix our eyes on something else.  Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  When we fix our eyes on this great love relationship that we have with Christ and we understand His love and sacrifice for us it allows temptation to pale in comparison.  Sin just isn’t as impressive.  We have to train our eyes to move away from all the temptations in our world put them on Jesus.  We have to run towards Jesus. Part of fixing our eyes on Jesus is putting His Word in our hearts.  I love what the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  I love that.  I have hidden Your Word in my heart…why?  So that I might not sin against God!  I love God that much that I don’t want to disappoint Him.  It’s about not religion; it’s about my relationship with Jesus.  When you love someone you never want anything to get in between the person you love.  When you’re focused on the thing that you love, Jesus…you don’t focus on the things that want to take you away from Him.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says,  “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 

You see when temptation comes and it’s going to come like 5 minutes from now.  I don’t know what form but one thing I know is this…it’s gonna come!  Whatever it is.  No matter what Satan dangles in front of you, you’ve got to know that God is faithful and He’s never going to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear and there’s always a way out.  That’s God’s promise to you and to me.   There’s one reason why you should resist temptation…because God is better.  The life that He longs for you to have is better than anything this world offers you!  It’s not even close!  Resist temptation…keep your eyes on Christ.  God is better!

4.) Scripture memorization gives us of God’s perspective.

If you struggle with identity…knowing that you have value then you need John 1:12, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”  If you’re trying to figure out your life and you’re seeking God’s will for your life then you’ve got to know Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.  If you’re seeking God’s plans for your life write down Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  I love it…God has good things, good plans for us.  Let’s delight ourselves in Him.  If you’ve been struggling with the pain of life then you need Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”  If you struggle with lust and you’re trying to resist it…you need Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.”  If you’re a Christ follower and you’re struggling with sin in your life and you’re wandering can God really forgive me then jot these two down…Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” and 1 John 3:19-20, “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.”  Can you capture the power in God’s word?  Can you see His assurance?  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!  Jesus is not condemning you!  Satan may be saying, “God doesn’t love you” but that’s a lie!  There is no condemnation!  Then it says in 1 John 3:19-20…even when you don’t feel forgiven…when you feel broken & busted…even when our own hearts condemn us—God is greater than our hearts, our feelings and He knows everything!  God knows it all!  If you’re struggling today with life, pain, sickness, depression…you feel hopeless you need God’s Word in your heart then Psalm 91:1-2 would speak into your situation. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

You see it’s important to have God’s Word readily available.  It’s important to know where key passages are in our Bibles so that when we need them then we can turn to them.  But, there is something invaluable when temptation, disappointment or difficulty comes your way and you’ve got God’s Word in your heart and when you need it your mind can recall what you’ve hidden in your heart!  Whatever you need.  Whatever you’re struggling with God’s Word is always there.