I recall my Sunday School class days when I misquoted a verse. Memorizing the Word of God is important but I always found it a challenge – especially when the pressure was on. Standing before an audience to recite memory verses was my least favourite part of the Sunday School routines.

I’m not the first shy, introverted person to have struggled with publicly reciting verses of Scripture. Nor was I the first person to misquote God’s Word. One day in a Garden, a woman was engaged in a conversation with the Serpent. Her name was Eve.

The Serpent asked her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Eve responded by quoting what she thought God had said to Adam: ” And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the Garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” (Genesis 3:3)

Oops! Eve, you made a couple of bloopers. You did not memorize God’s Word correctly. You misquoted God. You forgot to say that God said you could FREELY eat of every tree except that one. (Genesis 2:16) You left something out and then you put something in that God never said. That part about TOUCHING the tree??… Well God never said anything about ‘touching’ the tree – He only said you were not to ‘eat’ the fruit on the tree.

You and I know the tragic and devastating results of that encounter in the Garden of Eden. We are still feeling the awful effects today. I wonder what would have happened if Eve had quoted God’s Word accurately? We can only speculate. But we do know that the “Word of God is quick (living) and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword…” (Hebrews 4:12) and that it “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…” (2Timothy 3:16) When Satan launched his missiles at the Lord Jesus in the wilderness, what artillery did Christ use to counter the volley of temptations? He recited accurately suitable verses from the Word of God. That’s all! The Word of God is dynamite – powerful!

Memorizing the Word of God accurately and having suitable verses at our fingertips is a powerful weapon for a Christian. The Word of God is powerful in every way. It will preserve me when I am attacked by Satan. It will cause him to back off. It will help me in dealing with my own lusts and desires when I have relevant verses I can instantly quote in the presence of God. It will help me to be an effective ‘gospel’ witness for Christ. Quoting suitable verses from the Bible in response to questions an unsaved friend may have is powerful.

If you (and I) memorize just ONE verse every TWO days this year, by this time next year we will have 180 verses at our fingertips and on the tip of our tongues – ready for instant recall. Stored in our memory banks. You can memorize verses by topics e.g. forgiveness or temptation. Or by words or phrases. e.g. verses with the word ‘Saviour’ in them.

For those of you who would like to memorize Gospel-related verses, email me and I will send you a list of 165 verses that will be helpful. Buy some small index cards. Print out a verse on the card every two days. Carry the card around with you and look at it frequently. Experts reassure us that the more we memorize, the easier memorizing becomes. The first few weeks may be a struggle but it will get easier – especially if you have a friend who is doing the same thing.

Can you imagine having 180 verses stashed away in your mind and heart by the end of this year? Go for it!