Also by this author: Everyday Faithfulness: The Beauty of Ordinary Perseverance in a Demanding World
Published by Moody Publishers on August 1, 2023
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Reclaiming the art of Scripture memorization
Bible memory has fallen on hard times. It can feel unnecessary since we have Scripture at our fingertips. Or it just feels daunting and unattainable—you know it’s important, but you’re just not good at it.
Writer, mother, and lover of Scripture Glenna Marshall shows us that to love God with our hearts, we must first love him with our minds. Through Scripture memorization, we begin to meditate on God’s word. This causes us to think deeply about God, which leads to intimacy and trust. Scripture memory bolsters our daily faith, grows us in discernment, and gives us courage to walk through trials. It arms us with what we need to share the gospel, to fight sin, and to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ!
But how and where do we begin? Glenna gives us practical tools! Even long passages or books of the Bible can be hidden in our hearts with small, doable, daily bites. You’ll look at how to memorize Scripture in Bible study groups or local church settings as well as with children and friends.
Scripture memorization is the path we travel to obey God’s command to meditate on His Word. You will be transformed as the Bible takes root in your heart. The more we know His Word, the more we will—with the help of the Holy Spirit—be shaped like Jesus. You can do this! Memorizing Scripture shows you how!
When I was a child, I memorized a lot of Scripture, and I was very good at it! I enjoyed being talented at something for a change, but as my life got busier in high school, I less frequently tried to memorize Bible verses, and I would get discouraged when I couldn’t retain long-form passages I had tried to memorize. I have recently been thinking about engaging with this spiritual discipline again, and I am thankful that I got to read this encouraging, helpful book on the subject. At the beginning, Glenna Marshall shares her personal story of how she became invested in Scripture memorization, and she encourages her readers to know that if she can memorize the Bible even with her bad memory, then they can also take small steps towards significant progress.
Marshall shares teaching from the Bible about why Scripture meditation and memorization are important, and she suggests a number of practical ways that people can pursue Scripture memorization, providing helpful tips for different approaches and learning styles. Then she unpacks different ways that Scripture memory enriches the Christian life, with chapters focused on topics like knowing and loving God more, fighting sin and temptation, remaining steadfast through suffering, and having the right words to better encourage and witness to others. Marshall shares general principles and personal examples, and her writing voice feels warm, honest, and welcoming.
Memorizing Scripture: The Basics, Blessings, and Benefits of Meditating on God’s Word is a wonderful book on an often-neglected topic. Marshall demystifies the subject for people who feel too overwhelmed to start, and she encourages people to embrace Scripture memory as a life-giving practice, not an additional chore to check off a spiritual to-do list. I appreciate the blend between vision-casting and practical tips that Marshall offers in this book, and her personal stories enrich it even further. This book will be a wonderful blessing for many Christians in different stages of life, and I highly recommend it.
