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Verse: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
People who practice good memorization strategies improve their overall memory too. Memorizing words and their respective meanings and spellings is crucial for any effective human communication.
So, since 1925, children across America have participated in spelling bees in schools and at local and regional levels, always hoping to make it to the National Spelling Bee held in Washington, DC. Some eleven million students every year are involved in this literacy project. The project helps them learn grammar, enhance their vocabulary, compete in a supportive environment, develop an interest in the origin and etymology of words, develop a range of cognitive skills (including the ability to handle pressure), and develop the confidence to speak in public and accept their mistakes.
If memorizing spelling words is so crucial, shouldn’t the memorization of God’s Word receive at least as much attention? On November 4–6, 2009, three hundred contestants —children and youth from seven to eighteen years old— gathered in Washington, DC, for the first annual National Bible Bee sponsored by the Shelby Kennedy Foundation. The competition calls young people back to the lost discipline of Scripture memorization, as well as asks them to learn, speak, and live out their Christian faith.
Each contestant ends up having a unique experience with God’s Word! There is no such thing as an empty mind. If we do not fill our minds with God’s Word, other secular and perhaps even vulgar thoughts will occupy them.
Memorizing Bible passages is not just a matter of building up knowledge; it can shield us against sin, strengthening our spiritual life.
In Psalm 119:11, we read, “I have thought much about your words, and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin” (TLB).
When you are asked to recite a Bible passage, how many different ones come to your mind? Why not challenge yourself —and those around you— to memorize a new Bible text every day? It can be a passage basic to the Adventist message, a Bible promise, or any other verse of your choosing. No matter what you select, this habit will align your mind more closely with God’s Word and put you more in tune with His will for your life.