Each week in our Selah study of the Word you have an opportunity to put in extra work that reaps benefits for a lifetime. Let me explain 3 reasons why you need to memorize Scripture with a story.
Two brothers were out for a stroll through their father’s orchards. They came upon a tree loaded with delicious cherries. After they ate their fill, it was time to head back home. One brother gathered up all the fruit he could carry in his basket as the other brother dug up the tree and planted it in his garden.
Which brother was the wisest?
The brother who dug up the tree and planted it in his garden, of course! He would have fruit for decades to come from the extra work of digging up the tree and replanting it in his own backyard.
And it is the same way for us while studying the Word in the Selah Bible Studies. It is good to gather and learn as much as possible. But it is even better to put extra effort into planting the Word into our memory.
1. Memorization Delivers Spiritual Power
This concept of the memorized Word delivering spiritual power in time of need is well illustrated in Mat. 4:1-11. Every time Satan hurled a temptation at Jesus, He pushes back Satan with the Word of God. When we memorize scripture, the recalling of it in our time of need delivers a spiritual power that can only come through the Holy Spirit.
2. Memorization Reinforces Your Faith
Do you want to fortify your faith? One thing you can do to strengthen your faith is to discipline yourself to memorize scripture, rehearse the truth and reap the harvest of a stronger faith. Proverbs 22:17-10
3. Memorization Encourages Meditation
Perhaps one of the most underrated benefits of memorizing Scripture is that it causes us to meditate. Once you have memorized a verse of scripture, you can meditate on it anywhere day or night. Driving, walking, waiting, standing in line, rocking a baby, eating a meal, you can benefit from God’s Word by depositing scripture into your brain by memorization. Psalm 119:97
Remember, with the Selah Bible Study method; memorization is just a portion of the study! The goal is not to see how many verses we can memorize. The goal, like all spiritual disciplines, is to be like Christ. We want God’s word to transform our hearts, minds, and our life through the fruit of His Word