Spiritual Disciplines : Memorizing Scripture

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 Something beneficial that he Lord tells us to do with his Word, is a phrase that he calls "hiding the word in our heart, so that we might not sin against him."

Jesus called out religious leaders of his time in Matthew 23 and had a whole slew of things that the religious leaders were doing incorrectly. Jesus let them have it. He listed out woes against them. He called them names including hypocrite and brood of vipers. The religious leaders of the day were the most well versed human beings in the things of Scripture. Some of them had been studying the Torah since they were 3 years old, and it is said that some of them had memorized the entire Torah. 

However, what is the point of Scripture if you have it inside your mind but Jesus is still calling you a hypocrite?

Jesus is not concerned about how many words you can fit into your mind with attached book chapter and verse. He cares that the life changing power of those words are making themselves known through our lives! God's word has life giving power that changes us from the inside and affects the way we interact with the people around us. If the Word is not changing us to be more like Christ, that means we are not hiding it in our hearts and having it dwell richly within us. Jesus desires heart change, not mind cramming. He doesn't care if you can memorize the entire Bible, if the words you are memorizing are not even affecting your life in a powerful and meaningful way.

It is to our benefit to hide his word in our hearts for the numerous benefits out lined throughout scripture. God's word is the most fundamental thing to our faith walk besides Jesus' death on the cross. It would do us well to surrender to memorizing His word. 

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