3 Reasons Why Memorizing Scripture is Helpful in Everyday Life (Post #2: Joy)
I don’t know about you, but my brain is full. I’m not bragging about how much knowledge I have (which isn’t very much). I’m talking about the mental gymnastics my brain goes through on the daily just trying to keep up with all the different expectations and tasks at home and work. (If you know, you know.)
I know I need to memorize Scripture regularly, but sometimes I feel like adding one more mental task to my already teetering tower of thoughts might just bring it all down.
But when I’m reminded of the many benefits of memorizing God’s Word, it’s a no-brainer.
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 #2. You can read about reason #1 HERE.
Memorizing Scripture Gives Us Joy
It all starts when we’re rewarded with candy for memorizing a Bible verse. (And I’m not bashing candy. Who doesn’t like a free piece of candy?! In fact… here’s a random confession: When I was a kid, my parents made my siblings and me participate in Bible Drill. Besides my parents’ coercion, one major motivator for me was the candy bars we earned when we memorized verses. It’s true: chocolate will forever provide invaluable inspiration in my spiritual life. Judge if you want to. Go ahead. I’ll wait.)
Sorry… I digressed…
The point is that candy was once the reward for memorizing scripture. Now, the reward is much longer lasting.
Psalm 19:8 says “the precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.” One translation even says the laws of the Lord are right, “rejoicing the heart.” However you say it, the basic truth is this: God’s truth makes us happy. It brings us joy. Whether you’re listening to it, reading it, writing it, or speaking it, Scripture makes us glad (much more than a piece of candy ever could).
This is why Christians’ lives are (or at least should be) characterized by an abiding undercurrent of joy. Jesus-followers may not always be skipping around whistling or jumping around with spirit fingers in the air, but they are joyful. Even when times are hard. Their hearts are ruled by an uncommon and sometimes illogical contentment that gladly and wholly depends on God. This is JOY.
In his book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, writer and pastor Eugene Peterson says:
“Joy is not a requirement of Christian discipleship, it is a consequence. It is not what we acquire in order to experience life in Christ; it is what comes to us when we are walking in the way of faith and obedience.”
Utterly unique and unshakable joy is the natural result of living in Christ.
How?
Because Jesus Christ is the Word. And the same Word that saves us and sustains us also gives us JOY.
How?
How does God’s Word give us joy?
There are many ways, but here are 3 simple ones:
God’s Word gives us comfort
God’s Word gives us peace
God’s Word gives us life
God’s Word Gives Comfort
There’s nothing worse than being uncomfortable and being unable to fix it. Yesterday I wore a tank under my sweater, and all day it was constantly untucking from my pants and ridding up my ribcage. I bet I yanked it back down 300 times before lunch. And I hate being in a situation where I’m uncomfortable, feeling like I’m on the outside, unfamiliar with the place, the people, or the expectations. The less you know about something, the less comfortable you are.
But regardless of your outfit or surroundings, God’s Word always brings comfort because it is right and true. Think about it: There’s a certain and sure comfort that comes from knowing we know the truth and don’t have to make it up ourselves. It’s like wearing around comfiest outfit ever, every day! Or like being on the “inside” of an uncomfortable situation and having all the need-to-know info. Plus, in a world where it’s hard to keep up with the ever changing currents of culture, God’s Word is eternal. Steady. Reliable. Like a rock. It never changes. The Bible will never go out of style, and its author will never have a change of heart. All Scripture is incorruptible, unchanging, and everlasting. That’s so comforting!
And the more Scripture you know, the more comfort you have available to you, even during uncomfortable times. God’s unchanging truth reliably offers us reassurance and a rock-solid foundation, so our hearts can settle in joyful comfort, regardless of the lack of it surrounding us.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
God’s Word Gives Peace
Let’s face it: It’s never fun to be anxious or filled with worry. And life offers plenty of instances where we feel helpless and out of control. In those times, God’s Word offers peace - an inner calm that helps us rest in faith.
Isaiah 26:3 says, “He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!” This means that when we turn our thoughts to God and His Word, he rewards us with inner calm and rest. And peace brings proper perspective. Even the most difficult of circumstances becomes small and manageable when compared to God. When we’re at rest and we rightly see the surrounding situation, the result is solid confidence that God knows what He’s doing. And THAT, my friends, is JOY.
And by the way, the more Scripture we memorize, the more weapons we have to fend off worry and fight for peace.
God’s Word Gives Life
Another reason why the Bible makes our hearts happy is because Scripture gives us life! Paul called Scripture the “words of life” (Philippians 2:16) and Peter declared that Jesus’s message was the “words of life.” The Bible is full of laws and promises for a full, abundant life. For a life that thrives, not just survives.
When we memorize Bible verses, we fill our minds and hearts with refreshment, energy, and purpose. Imagine hearing a powerful pep talk from the world’s best motivational speaker, having Red Bull pumped into your veins, and seeing the world’s biggest chocolate bar waiting for you at the finish line.
(That might be a bit much, but I’m hoping you get the point…)
Memorizing and meditating on Scripture breathes life into our lives! God’s Word helps us really live, not just be alive.
One of the most meaningful messages Jesus left us with is the truth that eternal life starts now, not just when we die. John 17:3 records Jesus’s words as he prayed for his disciples then and now:
And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
Did you read that?
Eternal life is knowing God. Knowing Jesus.
And we can do that NOW!
TODAY.
We access this abundant, eternal life through the gospel, and we abide in it by hiding Scripture in our hearts.
Want to be Joyful?
As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven,” but that doesn’t mean we have to wait until then. Joy (comfort, peace, and life!) is available to us now through God’s Word. But it doesn’t come to us by osmosis, and it won’t magically seep into our pores or bloom in our hearts without some work on our part.
One of my favorite images of joy is from C.S. Lewis:
“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.”
Want to warm up? Get close to the fire.
Want to cool down? Get in the water.
Want to be joyful? Get in the Bible, because “the precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart” (Psalm 19:8).
