READ: PSALM 119:105; PROVERBS 7:1-3; ROMANS 12:2; COLOSSIANS 3:14-17

If you have a locker, is it easier to look up the locker combination every time, or to memorize the combination? You could just keep the locker combo saved on your phone or written on a piece of paper, but then you’d have to search for it every time you needed to open your locker. And if you ever lost the combo, then you’d really be in a predicament! It’s a lot easier to memorize it so you always have it in your mind.

Memorizing locker combinations is similar to memorizing Bible verses. Sure, we can just look up any Bible verse we need to know. But it’s hard to look up a verse if we don’t know the words. And memorizing Scripture isn’t just about having a verse ready when we need it. It’s about treasuring God’s Word and putting it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).

The Bible is precious because it tells us who Jesus is and what He’s done to save us. In it, God reveals His tender and powerful love for us, and He invites us into ever deeper relationship with Him. When we spend time committing God’s words to memory, we carry the truth and promises of Jesus with us, and they begin to affect our decisions and the way we live.

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” In order for this to happen, we need to know what the Word says. As we spend time reading and listening to the Bible and memorizing different verses and passages, the Holy Spirit works in us to help us take God’s truth and promises to heart, and He transforms us from the inside out. • A. W. Smith

• What are some of your favorite Bible verses? How have these affected the way you live your life?

• The Bible is a collection of books that were written over hundreds of years by people living in a variety of historical-cultural contexts, and it’s comprised of lots of different genres—like historical narratives, parables, poetry, letters, wisdom literature, apocalyptic literature, and more. So, when we memorize verses or passages from the Bible, why is it important to know the genre, historical-cultural context, and literary context of those verses? Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you dig into God’s Word and understand it more deeply?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. Colossians 3:16 (WEB)