Psalm 119:11
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
When I was growing up, this verse was a constant motivation to memorize scripture. Teachers used the implied punishment, the fear of sin and God’s judgment, to push your nose into the text. I think they were half right; punishment is a fair and helpful motivator, but it’s not the only one.
God’s word is full of a beauty that captures the heart. When I memorize those words they open up in my mind like a remembered view of Zion Canyon or the sunset over the Pacific. They calm, inspire, invigorate, and woo. They put the true God back into my world and leave the sin I was tempted by to shrivel away. Find and memorize that beauty today.
Prayer prompt: Lord, open up Your word so that I can’t sleep until I store it up in my heart.