Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”

Memorization may be a dying art – at least for me. I’ve never had the sharpest memory, but when I was younger, I regularly exercised my recall skills because of school and other responsibilities. Over the years, it’s become so easy to find information online that we rarely rely on our own minds anymore. If we forget something, we just Google it. But memorization remains incredibly important and helpful at any age – especially when it comes to God’s Word.

Over this summer, I’ve had to dig deep to redevelop my memorization muscles. Our church hosted its annual Vacation Bible School, and I was asked to be in the daily skits. I gladly agreed but quickly realized how much memorizing would be involved. Panic threatened as I wondered how my aging brain would handle it.

Even so, I attacked the challenge with gusto – reading and rereading my lines. 

In the end, I was amazed at how the words I’d rehearsed came to mind just when I needed them. I made it through each day’s skit with only a few stumbles.

As I reflected on this challenge, I was reminded how important it is to hide God’s Word in our hearts. Sure, we can always Google a verse, but there’s nothing like having Scripture stored away in the “files” of our minds. When you’ve memorized it, the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind in the nick of time.

This past week, I found myself lying awake at night, rehearsing my lines. I couldn’t believe I could recite them perfectly – even half asleep! Similarly, I’ve had Bible verses come to me in the middle of the night. When I wake up afraid from a bad dream or lingering fear, God calms me with His Word that I’ve memorized.

I’ve also found that Bible verses come to mind when I’m tempted to sin. More than once, God has reminded me that “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20) just when I’m about to lose my temper.

So, since memorization is becoming a lost art, here are some simple ways to revive this powerful practice:

- Repetition: Read and reread the verses.

- Listen: Play recordings and hear the words repeatedly.

- Write It Down: Handwrite the verses in a journal or on cards.

- Mnemonics: Use patterns and associations to help you remember.

- Share It: Say the verses out loud and share them with others.

Memorization can be challenging, but it’s worth the effort. When we take the time to hide God’s Word in our hearts, He will bring it to mind exactly when we need it – and all we have to do is obey.

May each one of us do our part to revive the “dying art” of memorization – especially by storing God’s Word deep in our hearts.