Do We Need to Memorize The Bible?

The short answer is yes. We are called to hide the word of God in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). But the question gets at something that can bother Christians. We read the Bible and do not even understand it all when we’re reading it, let alone remember it when we’re done. We hear sermons and do not remember what was said. Do these holy activities even benefit us?

They do! For it is not merely in the memory that we are blessed, but in the excercise of our faith upon God’s truth in the moment. For faith works itself out upon divine truth. This kind of spiritual excercise strengthens our faith, which we do carry with us wherever we go, even if we forget much of the workout.

This takes the pressure off. Be free to simply read your Bible, to simply absorb yourself in the sermon, to simply read good books. Let God’s truth wash over your mind and heart. The Lord will do his work. And you won’t help but carry the highlights with you anyway.