3 Reasons Why Memorizing Scripture is Helpful in Everyday Life (Post #1: Moral Compass)
Scripture memory - it’s something that is supposed to be important for all Christians. We start pushing it early. Kids get prizes at VBS or in Sunday School for saying a memory verse aloud. But as we become older, memorizing Bible verses kinda fizzles out.
Why is that?
Maybe we focus less and less on memorizing Scripture because life happens and things get busy. Or maybe it’s because as adults, we have less accountability to motivate us. Or maybe it’s not really a priority because we don’t think it has an impact on our day to day lives. After all, how can a book written thousands of years ago matter in our lives today?
The answer is short and simple - in one single Bible verse.
Psalm 19:8 says, “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”
Psalm 19:8 gives us 3 reasons why we should memorize Scripture:
It gives us a moral compass
It gives us joy
It gives us guidance
This post will focus on reason #1. Keep your eyes peeled for the other 2 posts coming soon!
Memorizing Scripture Gives us a Moral Compass
The first part of Psalm 19:8 says the precepts (or laws) of the Lord are right.
To start with, the “precepts of the Lord” mentioned here just refers to the Bible - the rules, laws, promises, and wisdom of God given in Scripture.
But what does it mean for the Bible to be “right”?
Right establishes morality
Contrary to what the world might say, we don’t get to invent our own morals. We can’t each decide what’s right and what’s wrong on our own. Imagine this: Bob thinks stealing is wrong but Suzy thinks it’s right and good. Which is it? Who gets to decide? Obviously, life would be a mess if we each got to come up with our own definition of right and wrong. None of us is perfect, so none of us is really qualified to establish morality. Thankfully, God has done it for us.
The self-existent creator crafted us from nothing and made this world to work a certain way. He’s the maker, so He gets to define right vs wrong. And that’s exactly what His Word does. Throughout the Bible, God shows us what is right and what is wrong (think the 10 Commandments in Exodus, the list of sins vs the list of spiritual fruits in Galatians, etc). And this definition of right and wrong doesn’t change! Ever.
We don’t have to wonder how changing times, advancing technology or evolving culture affects right and wrong. They don’t! God’s Word stays the same forever.
1 Peter 1:24-25 promises that while the grass withers and the flowers fall, “the Word of the Lord remains forever.”
The never-changing Word of God gives us a clear, everlasting definition of basic morality - what’s right vs what’s wrong.
Right gives us a measuring stick
The word “right” used in Psalm 19:8 not only points to what’s morally right, but the literal meaning of the word paints the picture of a straight, upright stick used to guide and measure. It’s kinda like a plumbline or ruler. God’s laws not only tell us what’s right, but they also give us a measuring stick to use in daily life.
Is gossip wrong? Hold it up to the measuring stick of God’s Word.
Is it okay to tell a small lie? See what the Bible says.
Does God care what I watch and listen to? Check Scripture.
Having this measuring stick in our back pocket is super helpful. When we or those around us ask questions based on morality, our answer doesn’t depend on what’s trendy or tolerant. We don’t even have to share our own opinion! We simply whip out the ruler of God’s Word and share what the Bible says.
This is great news because it takes our own opinions, prejudices, and desires out of the equation. Right and wrong aren’t questions of the heart; they’re questions of truth. Right and wrong have nothing to do with what’s comfortable or easy or acceptable.
When it comes to right vs wrong, what we think or believe as individuals doesn’t really matter.
What God’s Word says does.
It’s that simple.
Don’t Leave Home Without It
So here’s where the rubber meets the road: if Christians don’t know God’s Word and haven’t memorized Scripture, two things happen:
We lack a clear understanding of God’s definition of right and wrong (so we tend to rely on our own or let those around us decide)
We aren’t able to effectively use God’s measuring stick (so we’re timid, quiet, and unsure)
Memorizing Scripture reminds us of what’s right. It’s a universal and eternal measuring tool that establishes truth for everyone, everywhere, at all times. It’s God’s moral compass in our pockets.
This equips us to confidently discern right and wrong so that we can live righteous lives and share the truth with others.
When we don’t memorize Scripture, we leave home without God’s compass, which means we’re much more likely to get lost along the way.
